Patents by Inventor Thomas Lotter

Thomas Lotter 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: 20170347212
    Abstract: A standard earpiece which is insertable in an ear canal in a direction of insertion has a corresponding retaining cap. The retaining cap is configured in such a way, in this case, that it equally satisfies the requirements for wearing comfort, a secure seating of the standard earpiece, and proper ventilation of the ear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: THOMAS LOTTER, ERWIN SINGER
  • Patent number: 8718306
    Abstract: In a hearing device or hearing aid, provision can be made for a sound tube or an in-the-ear loudspeaker to be held in an auditory canal of a user by an earpiece. To couple a sound tube to an earpiece, a connection element can be provided on the sound tube, which connection element can be connected to a connection element for the earpiece. This connection must be detachable so that a user can remove the earpiece from the sound tube. Nevertheless, it must be possible to transmit such a large force over the connection that the earpiece can once again be pulled out of the auditory canal. The object is to simplify a detachable connection for coupling an earpiece to a sound tube or an in-the-ear loudspeaker. Accordingly, the connection element for the earpiece is provided as an independent component, which is attached in or on the earpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Uli Gommel, Thomas Lotter
  • Patent number: 8666314
    Abstract: A wireless audio transmission, for example from a television to a hearing device, is to be achieved simply and with a low signal delay. For this purpose are proposed a transmission facility with a transmission device for transmitting audio data in a signal conforming to a Bluetooth® communications protocol, a hearing-aid-specific coder which is integrated into the transmission device for the purpose of compressing the audio data before its transmission, and a relay station for converting the Bluetooth® signal from the transmission device into a signal for inductive transmission to the hearing device. In the relay station, no recoding is performed during the conversion. The transmission device transmits in accordance with the Bluetooth® A2DP protocol. The hearing-aid-specific coder has a lower sampling rate than the standard Bluetooth® coder SBC. Encoding delays and processing delays in the relay station can be minimized by this system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Lotter, Jürgen Reithinger
  • Patent number: 8194901
    Abstract: A method for programming a hearing device is described, in which audio data and programming data is transmitted from a programming device to the hearing device, with the audio data and the programming data being converted into data packets and transmitted via a common channel of a digital radio connection from the programming device to the hearing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Alber, Thomas Lotter, Jürgen Reithinger
  • Patent number: 8139802
    Abstract: Inductive transmission to a hearing apparatus and in particular to a hearing device is to be improved. To this end, it is proposed to equip the hearing apparatus with two or three orthogonal coils. The coil signals are added with different signs and that signal which exhibits the highest level is forwarded from the resulting signals for further processing. It is thus possible to ensure an optimum reception quality in all alignments of the hearing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Lotter, Jürgen Reithinger
  • Patent number: 8098862
    Abstract: Provisions to charge the battery of a hearing apparatus without having to remove the battery from the housing are provided. A hearing apparatus separates charging contacts, which are disposed on the surface of the housing and serve to charge the battery, from the battery and to connect the battery to an amplifier circuit, when the battery is not being charged. Otherwise, when the battery is being charged, the hearing apparatus connects the charging contacts to the battery and separates the battery from the amplifier circuit. This double switching function means that the amplifier circuit is protected from charging power surges and also in the normal operating state of the hearing apparatus electrochemical reactions at the charging contacts are avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Koch, Thomas Lotter, Uwe Rass
  • Patent number: 8027497
    Abstract: A hearing device that is operated with a rechargeable battery pack has at least one contact element that is fashioned to accept a charging current in electrical connection with an external charging device. The contact element is resiliently mounted at the hearing device and can be pressed onto a charging contact of the external charging device during a charging state under the application of a positive force. The contact element is located in a first position in an operating state or rest state of the hearing device, and is moved into a second position in the charging state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Klemenz, Thomas Lotter, Benjamin Schmidt, Herve Schulz, Erwin Singer, Roland Weigert
  • Publication number: 20110194716
    Abstract: In a hearing device or hearing aid, provision can be made for a sound tube or an in-the-ear loudspeaker to be held in an auditory canal of a user by an earpiece. To couple a sound tube to an earpiece, a connection element can be provided on the sound tube, which connection element can be connected to a connection element for the earpiece. This connection must be detachable so that a user can remove the earpiece from the sound tube. Nevertheless, it must be possible to transmit such a large force over the connection that the earpiece can once again be pulled out of the auditory canal. The object is to simplify a detachable connection for coupling an earpiece to a sound tube or an in-the-ear loudspeaker. Accordingly, the connection element for the earpiece is provided as an independent component, which is attached in or on the earpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Uli Gommel, Thomas Lotter
  • Patent number: 7751578
    Abstract: The operation of appliances in a home network is to be made more user-friendly, for which purpose provision is made for the hearing device remote control unit to be integrated as a component in a network. This would, for example, enable warning signals triggered by the network to be provided in the hearing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Winfried Arz, Thomas Fischer, Thomas Lotter, Gottfried Rückerl
  • Publication number: 20100027825
    Abstract: In one aspect an ear mold for a hearing device is provided. The ear mol includes an opening for accommodating a snap-on element arranged on a receiver or a sound tube, with the opening being lined with a hard layer. A device having a receiver or a sound tube and a snap-on element are likewise specified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Werner Fickweiler, Uli Gommel, Thomas Lotter
  • Publication number: 20080232625
    Abstract: Provisions to charge the battery of a hearing apparatus without having to remove the battery from the housing are provided. A hearing apparatus separates charging contacts, which are disposed on the surface of the housing and serve to charge the battery, from the battery and to connect the battery to an amplifier circuit, when the battery is not being charged. Otherwise, when the battery is being charged, the hearing apparatus connects the charging contacts to the battery and separates the battery from the amplifier circuit. This double switching function means that the amplifier circuit is protected from charging power surges and also in the normal operating state of the hearing apparatus electrochemical reactions at the charging contacts are avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventors: Frank Koch, Thomas Lotter, Uwe Rass
  • Publication number: 20080136369
    Abstract: The invention relates to a charging device for a battery-powered hearing aid, with said charging device having a housing with a cover and a holder for the hearing aid, with a contact element of a hearing aid being pressed, by a preload, against a charging contact of the charging device during charging, characterized in that the cover includes the charging contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Inventors: Harald Klemenz, Thomas Lotter, Herve Schulz, Roland Weigert
  • Publication number: 20080130929
    Abstract: The aim is to better suppress background noises during the use of hearing devices. To this end, provision is made to record an electrical or electromagnetic useful signal via a corresponding interface and an interference sound by means of a microphone of the hearing device. The processed useful signal is output from a receiver of the hearing device. A vent is formed when the hearing device is worn in or on the ear, through which vent a sound transmission function from the microphone to the eardrum of the hearing device wearer exists. The interference sound signal of the microphone is filtered as a function of the sound transmission function of the vent such that an interference sound reaching the eardrum through the vent is reduced in its effect on the eardrum by means of a balancing sound, which is generated on the basis of an interference sound signal of the microphone from the receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Inventors: Georg-Erwin Arndt, Frank Koch, Thomas Lotter
  • Publication number: 20080118093
    Abstract: A hearing device that is operated with a rechargeable battery pack has at least one contact element that is fashioned to accept a charging current in electrical connection with an external charging device. The contact element is resiliently mounted at the hearing device and can be pressed onto a charging contact of the external charging device during a charging state under the application of a positive force. The contact element is located in a first position in an operating state or rest state of the hearing device, and is moved into a second position in the charging state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Inventors: Harald Klemenz, Thomas Lotter, Benjamin Schmidt, Herve Schulz, Erwin Singer, Roland Weigert
  • Publication number: 20080037810
    Abstract: Inductive transmission to a hearing apparatus and in particular to a hearing device is to be improved. To this end, it is proposed to equip the hearing apparatus with two or three orthogonal coils. The coil signals are added with different signs and that signal which exhibits the highest level is forwarded from the resulting signals for further processing. It is thus possible to ensure an optimum reception quality in all alignments of the hearing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas Lotter, Jurgen Reithinger
  • Publication number: 20080031478
    Abstract: A method for programming a hearing device is described, in which audio data and programming data is transmitted from a programming device to the hearing device, with the audio data and the programming data being converted into data packets and transmitted via a common channel of a digital radio connection from the programming device to the hearing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Inventors: Daniel Alber, Thomas Lotter, Jurgen Reithinger
  • Publication number: 20080013763
    Abstract: A wireless audio transmission, for example from a television to a hearing device, is to be achieved using simple means and with a low signal delay. For this purpose are proposed a transmission facility with a transmission device for transmitting audio data in a Bluetooth signal, a hearing-aid-specific coder which is integrated into the transmission device for the purpose of compressing the audio data before its transmission, and a relay station for converting the Bluetooth signal from the transmission device into a signal for inductive transmission to the hearing device. In the relay station, no recoding is performed during the conversion. The transmission device transmits in accordance with the Bluetooth A2DP protocol. The hearing-aid-specific coder has a lower sampling rate than the standard Bluetooth coder SBC. Encoding delays and processing delays in the relay station can be minimized by this system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas Lotter, Jurgen Reithinger
  • Publication number: 20060245609
    Abstract: The operation of appliances in a home network is to be made more user-friendly, for which purpose provision is made for the hearing device remote control unit to be integrated as a component in a network. This would, for example, enable warning signals triggered by the network to be provided in the hearing devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Publication date: November 2, 2006
    Inventors: Winfried Arz, Thomas Fischer, Thomas Lotter, Gottfried Ruckerl