Patents by Inventor Silvia Allegro

Silvia Allegro 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: 20070269064
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a hearing system comprising an input unit, an output unit and a transmission unit operationally interconnecting said input output units. Said transmission unit implements a transfer function describing, how audio signals generated by said input unit are processed in order to derive audio signals fed to said output unit, and can be adjusted by one or more transfer function parameters. Said method comprises obtaining, by means of said input unit and with a first directional characteristic, first audio signals from incoming acoustic sound; deriving from said first audio signals a first set of sound-characterizing data; and deriving, in dependence of first directional information, which is data comprising information on said first directional characteristic, and of said first set of sound-characterizing data, a value for each of said one or more transfer function parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Silvia Allegro-Baumann, Stefan Launer, Hilmar Meier, Hans-Ueli Roeck, Herbert Bachler
  • Publication number: 20070269053
    Abstract: The method for operating a hearing device having an adjustable transfer function comprising M sub-functions, wherein M is an integer with M?1, and wherein said transfer function describes how input audio signals generated by an input transducer unit of said hearing device relate to output audio signals to be fed to an output transducer unit of said hearing device, comprises the steps of: deriving said input audio signals from a current acoustic environment; and for each of said M sub-functions: deriving, on the basis of said input audio signals and for each class of N classes each of which describes a predetermined acoustic environment, a class similarity factor indicative of the similarity of said current acoustic environment with the predetermined acoustic environment described by the respective class, wherein N is an integer with N?2; deriving from N predetermined base parameter sets assigned to the respective sub-function and in dependence of said class similarity factors an activity parameter set fo
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: PHONAK AG
    Inventors: Hilmar Meier, Michael Boretzki, Hubert Lechner, Manuela Feilner, Silvia Allegro-Baumann, Hans-Ueli Roeck, Andi Vonlanthen
  • Patent number: 7248711
    Abstract: A method for frequency transposition in a communication device Or a hearing device, respectively, is disclosed by transforming an acoustical signal into an electrical signal (s) and by transforming the electrical signal from time domain into frequency domain to obtain a spectrum (S). A frequency transposition is being applied to the spectrum (S) in order to obtain a transposed spectrum (S?), whereby the frequency transposition is being defined by a nonlinear frequency transposition function. Thereby, it is possible to transpose lower frequencies almost linearly, while higher frequencies are transposed more strongly. As a result thereof, harmonic relationships are not distorted in the lower frequency range, and at the same time, higher frequencies can be moved to a lower frequency range, namely to an audible frequency range of the hearing impaired person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Silvia Allegro, Olegs Timms, Adam Hersbach, Hugh McDermott, Evert Dijkstra
  • Publication number: 20070030987
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an acoustical device, especially a hearing device. A device casing is provided with an acoustical/electrical input converter arrangement with an electric output. An audio signal processing unit establishes audio signal processing of the device according to individaul needs and/or purpose of the device. At least one electrical/mechanical output converter is provided. A filter arrangement with adjustable high-pass characteristic has a control input for the characteristic. The following operational connections are established: between the output of the input converter arrangement and the input of the filter arrangement, between the output of the filter arrangement and the control input, between said output of the filter arrangement and the input of the processing unit, between the output of the processing unit and the input of the at least once output converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Applicant: PHONAK AG
    Inventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Silvia Allegro-Baumann, Franziska Pfisterer
  • Patent number: 7158931
    Abstract: A method and a device for identifying an acoustic scene are provided, whereas the method comprises the steps that an acoustic input signal, preferably recorded by at least one microphone, is processed in at least two processing stages in such a manner that an extraction phase is provided in at least one of the at least two processing stages, in which extraction phase characteristic features are extracted from the input signal, and that an identification phase is provided in each processing stage, in which identification phase the extracted characteristic features are classified. According to the classification of the features, class information is generated in at least one of the processing stages, which class information characterizes or identifies the acoustic scene. Furthermore, a hearing device is described having incorporated the method and the device according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Phonak AG
    Inventor: Silvia Allegro
  • Patent number: 7127076
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an acoustical device, especially a hearing device. A device casing is provided with an acoustical/electrical input converter arrangement with an electric output. An audio signal processing unit establishes audio signal processing of the device according to individual needs and/or purpose of the device. At least one electrical/mechanical output converter is provided. A filter arrangement with adjustable high-pass characteristic has a control input for the characteristic. The following operational connections are established: between the output of the input converter arrangement and the input of the filter arrangement, between the output of the filter arrangement and the control input, between said output of the filter arrangement and the input of the processing unit, between the output of the processing unit and the input of the at least one output converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Silvia Allegro, Franziska Pfisterer
  • Publication number: 20060233385
    Abstract: According to the invention, in a hearing instrument it is once or repeatedly checked whether a second hearing instrument is present and active. If a second hearing instrument is active on the contralateral side, a first gain (corresponding to the gain for binaural fitting) is applied. If, however, no further hearing instrument is found to be active, a second—increased—gain is applied. The second gain may simply correspond to the first gain increased by a certain dB value. It may as an alternative be a specifically adapted gain characteristic of a monaural fitting for the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2005
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Inventors: Silvia Allegro Baumann, Stefan Launer
  • Publication number: 20060126872
    Abstract: A method to adjust parameters of a transfer function of a hearing device is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of extracting features of an input signal fed to the hearing device, classifying the extracted features into one of several possible classes, selecting a class corresponding to a best estimate of a momentary acoustic scene, adjusting at least some of the parameters of the transfer function in accordance with the selected class representing the best estimated momentary acoustic scene, and training the hearing device to improve classification of the extracted feature or the best estimate of the momentary acoustic scene, respectively, during regular operation of the hearing device. As a result, the hearing device does not only improve its behavior when new data is presented lying outside of known training data, but the hearing device is also better and faster adapted to most common acoustic scenes, with which the hearing device user is confronted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Inventors: Silvia Allegro-Baumann, Nail Cadalli, Stefan Launer, Valentin Chapero-Rueda
  • Publication number: 20060083386
    Abstract: In order to switch between different hearing programs to adjust to a momentary acoustic scene, a method for adjusting a hearing device, in which one of several possible hearing programs can be selected in order to adjust to a momentary acoustic scene, the method comprising the steps of detecting a desired hearing program change, changing parameters (b1, . . . , bm) of a transfer function provided between a microphone (M1) and a receiver of the hearing device in order to adapt it to the detected hearing program change, adjusting the parameters (b1, . . . , bm) to be changed from a momentary value to a desired value in such a manner that a smooth transition is perceived by the hearing device user while changing from a momentary hearing program to the desired hearing program, whereas each of the smooth transition is individually adjustable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: Silvia Allegro-Baumann, Stefan Menzl, Hilmar Meier
  • Publication number: 20040264721
    Abstract: A method for frequency transposition in a communication device Or a hearing device, respectively, is disclosed by transforming an acoustical signal into an electrical signal (s) and by transforming the electrical signal from time domain into frequency domain to obtain a spectrum (S). A frequency transposition is being applied to the spectrum (S) in order to obtain a transposed spectrum (S′), whereby the frequency transposition is being defined by a nonlinear frequency transposition function. Thereby, it is possible to transpose lower frequencies almost linearly, while higher frequencies are transposed more strongly. As a result thereof, harmonic relationships are not distorted in the lower frequency range, and at the same time, higher frequencies can be moved to a lower frequency range, namely to an audible frequency range of the hearing impaired person.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Silvia Allegro, Olegs Timms, Adam Hersbach, Hugh McDermott, Evert Dijkstra
  • Publication number: 20040190739
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for recording information in a hearing device and/or in a recording unit at least temporally operationally connected to the hearing device. The method consists in that a point in time of the recording and/or a recording frequency as well as the information to be recorded, as data and/or parameters and/or adjustments of the hearing device are adjusted freely or are programmable, respectively. Furthermore, a hearing device is described that is suitable to use the method. By the present invention, a multitude of the parameters being adjustable in a hearing device can be checked or surveyed all together or selectively in real, i.e. actually existing acoustic environments in order to optimally adjust or adapt the hearing device afterwards, that means after the analysis by the fitter, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Inventors: Herbert Bachler, Volker Kuhnel, Silvia Allegro, Stefan Daniel Menzl, Hilmar Meier, Michael Boretzki, Stefan Launer, Ivo Hasler
  • Publication number: 20040190737
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for recording information in a hearing device and/or in a recording unit at least temporally operationally connected to the hearing device. The method consists in that a point in time of the recording and/or a recording frequency as well as the information to be recorded, as data and/or parameters and/or adjustments of the hearing device are adjusted freely or are programmable, respectively. Furthermore, a hearing device is described that is suitable to use the method. By the present invention, a multitude of the parameters being adjustable in a hearing device can be checked or surveyed all together or selectively in real, i.e. actually existing acoustic environments in order to optimally adjust or adapt the hearing device afterwards, that means after the analysis by the fitter, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Inventors: Volker Kuhnel, Silvia Allegro
  • Publication number: 20040175012
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an acoustical device, especially a hearing device. A device casing is provided with an acoustical/electrical input converter arrangement with an electric output. An audio signal processing unit establishes audio signal processing of the device according to individual needs and/or purpose of the device. At least one electrical/mechanical output converter is provided. A filter arrangement with adjustable high-pass characteristic has a control input for the characteristic. The following operational connections are established: between the output of the input converter arrangement and the input of the filter arrangement, between the output of the filter arrangement and the control input, between said output of the filter arrangement and the input of the processing unit, between the output of the processing unit and the input of the at least one output converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Silvia Allegro, Franziska Pfisterer
  • Publication number: 20040175010
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for frequency transposition in a hearing device by transforming an acoustical signal into an electrical signal (s) and by transforming the electrical signal from time domain into frequency domain to obtain a spectrum (S). According the present invention, a frequency transposition is being applied to the spectrum (S) in order to obtain a transposed spectrum (S′), whereby the frequency transposition is being defined by a nonlinear frequency transposition function, Thereby, it is possible to transpose lower frequencies almost linearly, while higher frequencies are transposed more strongly. As a result thereof, harmonic relationships are not distorted in the lower frequency range, and at the same time, higher frequencies can be moved into a lower frequency range, namely in an audible range of the hearing impaired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Silvia Allegro, Olegs Timms
  • Publication number: 20030144838
    Abstract: A method and a device for identifying an acoustic scene are provided, whereas the method comprises the steps that an acoustic input signal, preferably recorded by at least one microphone, is processed in at least two processing stages in such a manner that an extraction phase is provided in at least one of the at least two processing stages, in which extraction phase characteristic features are extracted from the input signal, and that an identification phase is provided in each processing stage, in which identification phase the extracted characteristic features are classified. According to the classification of the features, class information is generated in at least one of the processing stages, which class information characterizes or identifies the acoustic scene. Furthermore, a hearing device is described having incorporated the method and the device according to the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Inventor: Silvia Allegro
  • Publication number: 20020150264
    Abstract: Method for eliminating spurious signal components (SS) from an input signal (ES), said method including the characterization, in a signal analysis phase (I), of the spurious signal components (SS) and of the information signal (NS) contained in the input signal (ES), and the determination or generation, in a signal processing phase (II), of the information signal (NS) or estimated information signal (NS′) on the basis of the characterization obtained in the signal analysis phase (I), said characterization of the signal components (SS, NS) being performed under utilization at least of auditory-based features (M1 to Mj).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2001
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Inventors: Silvia Allegro, Hans-Ueli Roeck
  • Publication number: 20020090098
    Abstract: This invention relates first of all to a method for operating a hearing device (1), said method including the extraction, during an extraction phase, of characteristic features from an acoustic signal captured by at least one microphone (2a, 2b), and the processing, during an identification phase and with the aid of Hidden Markov Models, of said characteristic features especially for the determination of a transient acoustic scene or of sounds and/or for voice and word recognition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: Silvia Allegro, Michael Buchler