Patents by Inventor Thomas Ulrich Christiansen
Thomas Ulrich Christiansen 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: 11632635Abstract: A hearing aid comprises a) a multitude of M input transducers each providing an electric input signal representative of environment sound in a time-frequency representation (k, l), and each comprise varying amounts of target (s) and noise (v) signal components; b) a signal processor configured to process said multitude of electric input signals; and comprising a beamformer filter configured to receive said multitude M of electric input signals and to provide a spatially filtered signal and a post-filter configured to receive said spatially filtered signal and to provide an estimate ?(k,l) of a target signal representing said target signal components from said target sound source. The signal processor is configured to provide estimates of power spectral densities ?s(k,l) of said target signal components in dependence of inter-frequency bin relationships between the spectral components enforced by properties of the electric input signals across at least some of said frequency bins.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2021Date of Patent: April 18, 2023Assignee: Oticon A/SInventors: Adel Zahedi, Michael Syskind Pedersen, Lars Bramsløw, Thomas Ulrich Christiansen, Jesper Jensen
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Publication number: 20220240026Abstract: A hearing device adapted for being worn at or in an ear of a user, comprises a) an input unit comprising at last two input transducers each for converting sound around said hearing device to an electric input signal representing said sound, thereby providing at least two electric input signals; b) a beamformer filter comprising a minimum processing beamformer defined by optimized beamformer weights, the beamformer filter being configured to provide a filtered signal in dependence of said at least two electric input signals and said optimized beamformer weights; c) a reference signal representing sound around said hearing device; d) a performance criterion for said minimum processing beamformer. The minimum processing beamformer is a beamformer that provides the filtered signal with as little modification as possible in terms of a selected distance measure compared to said reference signal, while still fulfilling said performance criterion.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2022Publication date: July 28, 2022Applicant: Oticon A/SInventors: Adel Zahedi, Michael Syskind Pedersen, Thomas Ulrich Christiansen, Lars Bramsløw, Jesper Jensen
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Publication number: 20210329388Abstract: A hearing aid comprises a) a multitude of M input transducers each providing an electric input signal representative of environment sound in a time-frequency representation (k, l), and each comprise varying amounts of target (s) and noise (v) signal components; b) a signal processor configured to process said multitude of electric input signals; and comprising a beamformer filter configured to receive said multitude M of electric input signals and to provide a spatially filtered signal and a post-filter configured to receive said spatially filtered signal and to provide an estimate ?(k, l) of a target signal representing said target signal components from said target sound source. The signal processor is configured to provide estimates of power spectral densities ?s(k, l) of said target signal components in dependence of inter-frequency bin relationships between the spectral components enforced by properties of the electric input signals across at least some of said frequency bins.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2021Publication date: October 21, 2021Applicant: Oticon A/SInventors: Adel ZAHEDI, Michael Syskind PEDERSEN, Lars BRAMSLØW, Thomas Ulrich CHRISTIANSEN, Jesper JENSEN
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Patent number: 10631107Abstract: A hearing device comprises a) an input unit for providing at least one electric input signal representing sound in a frequency sub-band representation, b) an SNR estimation unit for estimating a signal to noise ratio and/or a level estimation unit for estimating a level of said at least one electric input signal, and c) a configurable frequency transposition unit for transposing content of a source frequency sub-band FBS into a destination frequency sub-band FBD.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2019Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: OTICON A/SInventors: Anders Højsgaard Thomsen, Jesper Jensen, Thomas Ulrich Christiansen
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Publication number: 20190379985Abstract: A hearing device comprises a) an input unit for providing at least one electric input signal representing sound in a frequency sub-band representation, b) an SNR estimation unit for estimating a signal to noise ratio and/or a level estimation unit for estimating a level of said at least one electric input signal, and c) a configurable frequency transposition unit for transposing content of a source frequency sub-band FBS into a destination frequency sub-band FBD.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2019Publication date: December 12, 2019Applicant: Oticon A/SInventors: Anders Højsgaard THOMSEN, Jesper JENSEN, Thomas Ulrich CHRISTIANSEN
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Patent number: 10085099Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 3, 2015Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignees: Bernafon AG, Oticon A/SInventors: Martin Kuriger, Christophe Lesimple, Neil Hockley, Claus Forup Corlin Jespersgaard, Thomas Ulrich Christiansen
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Patent number: 9980053Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 3, 2016Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignees: OTICON A/S, BERNAFON AGInventors: Martin Kuriger, Christophe Lesimple, Neil Hockley, Claus Forup Corlin Jespersgaard, Thomas Ulrich Christiansen, Kamilla Angelo
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Publication number: 20170127200Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2015Publication date: May 4, 2017Applicants: Oticon A/S, Bernafon AGInventors: Martin KURIGER, Christophe LESIMPLE, Neil HOCKLEY, Claus Forup Corlin JESPERSGAARD, Thomas Ulrich CHRISTIANSEN
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Publication number: 20170127192Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2016Publication date: May 4, 2017Applicants: Oticon A/S, Bernafon AGInventors: Martin KURIGER, Christophe LESIMPLE, Neil HOCKLEY, Claus Forup Corlin JESPERSGAARD, Thomas Ulrich CHRISTIANSEN, Kamilla ANGELO
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Patent number: 9571949Abstract: An apparatus for determining cochlear dead region comprising a sound generation unit, an output transducer, and a control unit. The control unit causes the sound generation unit to provide a first electrical sound signal representing a first frequency band adjacent to a frequency region of interest, with a first bandwidth, a first sound pressure level and a first subsequent electrical sound signal representing a first subsequent frequency band comprising the frequency region of interest with a first subsequent bandwidth, a first subsequent sound pressure level, and a first subsequent time delay to the first electrical sound signal. In response, the output transducer generates a first output sound and a first subsequent output sound with the first subsequent time delay. A user compares the first output and first subsequent output sounds and decides, whether he hears a difference between the two sounds and gives a positive or negative decision input.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2015Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignees: OTICON A/S, BERNAFON AGInventors: Karsten Bo Rasmussen, Barbara Simon, Neil Hockley, Christophe Lesimple, Thomas Ulrich Christiansen, Monika Bertges Reber
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Publication number: 20150222999Abstract: An apparatus for determining cochlear dead region comprising a sound generation unit, an output transducer, and a control unit. The control unit causes the sound generation unit to provide a first electrical sound signal representing a first frequency band adjacent to a frequency region of interest, with a first bandwidth, a first sound pressure level and a first subsequent electrical sound signal representing a first subsequent frequency band comprising the frequency region of interest with a first subsequent bandwidth, a first subsequent sound pressure level, and a first subsequent time delay to the first electrical sound signal. In response, the output transducer generates a first output sound and a first subsequent output sound with the first subsequent time delay. A user compares the first output and first subsequent output sounds and decides, whether he hears a difference between the two sounds and gives a positive or negative decision input.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2015Publication date: August 6, 2015Applicants: BERNAFON AG, OTICON A/SInventors: Karsten Bo RASMUSSEN, Barbara SIMON, Neil HOCKLEY, Christophe LESIMPLE, Thomas Ulrich CHRISTIANSEN, Monika Bertges REBER
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Patent number: D608355Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2009Date of Patent: January 19, 2010Assignee: Nokia CorporationInventors: Anton Fahlgren, Thomas Ulrich Christiansen