Patents by Inventor Wolfgang Sorgel
Wolfgang Sorgel 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).
-
Patent number: 10104480Abstract: Synthetically generated signals are reproduced via a binaural hearing system, which includes two hearing devices. After reproducing a first signal via the first hearing device a reproduction of a second signal via the second hearing device is also carried out delayed by a defined time interval. The additional time delay is to be quantified such that the impression of a sound amplification is produced with a hearing system wearer.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2008Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: Sivantos GmbHInventors: Ulrich Kornagel, Wolfgang Sörgel
-
Patent number: 8908893Abstract: Multi-stage filter bank systems with filter banks of different bandwidth frequently cause interference in hearing apparatuses and in particular in hearing devices. Therefore a hearing apparatus is proposed with a filter bank system having a multi-stage analysis filter bank and/or a multi-stage synthesis filter bank, to break down an input signal of the hearing apparatus into a number of partial band signals by way of a number of filter bank channels and/or to recombine partial band signals of a number of filter bank channels. The filter bank system is equipped with at least one equalization filter, to equalize differences in the complex frequency responses between filter bank channels. It is thus possible in particular to equalize group delay time differences as well as attenuation and/or amplification.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2009Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Daniel Alfsmann, Robert Bäuml, Henning Puder, Wolfgang Sörgel
-
Patent number: 8532319Abstract: A filter bank configuration for a hearing device has filters in an analysis filter bank and corresponding filters in a synthesis filter bank that are coupled pair-wise to form a channel in each case. In order to compensate for a hearing loss, sub-band signals are amplified in the individual channels with the aid of multipliers. In the process, an audible distortion of an output signal Y of the filter bank configuration as a result of differences between amplification factors of the multipliers of neighboring channels should be prevented. Here, at least one channel changes a phase of a sub-band signal transmitted by the channel such that a difference between a group delay of the filter bank configuration and a prescribable reference value is reduced for at least one predetermined frequency. The filter bank configuration is particularly suited to hearing aids.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2010Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Robert Baüml, Heinz Goeckler, Thomas Kurbiel, Henning Puder, Wolfgang Sörgel
-
Patent number: 8411886Abstract: The invention relates to a hearing aid with at least one sound receiver and a sound generator. The hearing aid has an audio signal unit operatively connected to the sound generator, the audio signal unit being designed to generate an audio signal perceptible to a human ear. The audio signal has a plurality of mutually different frequencies of a frequency range. The audio signal unit has at least one tone generator. The at least one tone generator is designed to generate the audio signal with at least one fundamental frequency representing a tone and with harmonics of the fundamental frequency.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2007Date of Patent: April 2, 2013Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbHInventors: Roland Barthel, Wolfgang Sörgel
-
Patent number: 8385572Abstract: The object is to improve the effect of a noise reduction algorithm for hearing apparatuses and in particular hearing aids. This is achieved by a method wherein the input signal is modeled by a wanted signal model and a noise signal model. In addition, a signal statistic of the input signal is recorded in a data logging unit. The wanted signal model and/or the noise signal model can now be changed as a function of said signal statistic. Finally the noise component of the input signal is reduced using the noise signal model and/or the wanted signal model. This means that the models used can be continuously adapted to the hearing apparatus user's current situation.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2008Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbHInventors: Oliver Dreβler, Eghart Fischer, Ulrich Kornagel, Wolfgang Sörgel
-
Patent number: 8233650Abstract: The noise reduction for signals which can contain speech at least part of the time is to be improved. To this end a hearing apparatus and especially a hearing device with a first estimation device for estimating a first value of an input signal with a first estimation algorithm and a noise reduction device for reducing noise in the input signal are provided. A second estimation device, which is parameterized with the estimated first value, is used for estimating a second value of the input signal with a second estimation algorithm. The noise reduction device receives the estimated second value from the second estimation device for reducing the noise. The two-stage estimation method enables an adaptive estimation to be carried out which is always currently adapted to an input signal.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2009Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Oliver Dreβler, Wolfgang Sörgel
-
Patent number: 8208667Abstract: The invention relates to an adjustable hearing aid to which at least one parameter which influences the response and amplification characteristics of the hearing aid can be adjusted, with means being included which carry out testing of the effectiveness of an adjustment of this parameter in the prevailing auditory situation, and means being included which, given the existence of a minimum effectiveness, enable the adjustment option of this parameter.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2008Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Wolfgang Sörgel, Andreas Tiefenau
-
Patent number: 8199944Abstract: An unintentional adjustment of the user-controlled control elements on the device can result within the scope of the activation of a hearing device, after a switch-on delay has elapsed. To reduce this risk, a delay in the release of the user-controlled control elements attached to the device is provided in accordance with the invention in addition to the said switch-on delay.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2008Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbHInventors: Philipp Höcht, Wolfgang Sörgel
-
Patent number: 8189831Abstract: The invention relates to a hearing aid having an audio signal unit which is operatively connected to a sound generator and generates an audio signal which has at least two audio signal sections immediately succeeding one another in time. The audio signal sections each have an audio signal section duration and the audio signal has at least one frequency that is audible to the human ear. The audio signal sections succeed one another in such a way that an audio signal section succeeding a previous audio signal section in time begins before the previous audio signal section has terminated, with the result that the previous and the succeeding audio signal section overlap one another with an overlapping time period, the overlapping time period being shorter than the audio signal section duration of the previous audio signal section.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2007Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbHInventor: Wolfgang Sörgel
-
Patent number: 8098857Abstract: The invention relates to a hearing aid having a sound receiver and a sound generator. The hearing aid also has an audio signal unit that is functionally linked to the sound generator and has a tone signal generator for generating a tone signal as a function of a trigger signal and of a generation parameter which represents a frequency that can be perceived by a human ear. The hearing aid also has a memory, connected to the tone signal generator, for storing the generation parameter. The audio signal unit changes the generation parameter stored in the memory, generates a trigger signal for each tone signal requiring to be generated, sends said trigger signal to the tone signal generator, and sends the generated tone signal to the sound generator.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2007Date of Patent: January 17, 2012Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbHInventor: Wolfgang Sörgel
-
Publication number: 20120008791Abstract: A filter bank with a sufficiently high resolution for amplification and noise reduction and with the lowest possible computational complexity is provided for a hearing device and, in particular, for a hearing aid. Two-stage frequency transformation with little latency is therefore proposed for hearing aids. Some of the processing, for example the amplification, is carried out after high stopband attenuation in the first stage. An increased frequency resolution is achieved in a second stage before the back-transformation in the first stage, which is favorable for noise reduction, for example.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2011Publication date: January 12, 2012Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.Inventors: Timo Gerkmann, Rainer Martin, Henning Puder, Wolfgang Sorgel
-
Publication number: 20110007918Abstract: A filter bank configuration for a hearing device has filters in an analysis filter bank and corresponding filters in a synthesis filter bank that are coupled pair-wise to form a channel in each case. In order to compensate for a hearing loss, sub-band signals are amplified in the individual channels with the aid of multipliers. In the process, an audible distortion of an output signal Y of the filter bank configuration as a result of differences between amplification factors of the multipliers of neighboring channels should be prevented. Here, at least one channel changes a phase of a sub-band signal transmitted by the channel such that a difference between a group delay of the filter bank configuration and a prescribable reference value is reduced for at least one predetermined frequency. The filter bank configuration is particularly suited to hearing aids.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2010Publication date: January 13, 2011Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.Inventors: ROBERT BÄUML, HEINZ GOECKLER, THOMAS KURBIEL, HENNING PUDER, WOLFGANG SÖRGEL
-
Patent number: 7844062Abstract: The output of signal tones from hearing aids for binaural coverage is to be synchronized. To this end, it is provided that the counters of the two hearing aids are equalized by a synchronization signal. By transmitting a control signal with a count value or before a predetermined count value, the simultaneous emission of a signal tone from the two hearing aids is initiated. Alternatively, for the indirect synchronization of the counters the respective differences of the counter readings may also be stored in the individual hearing aids.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2006Date of Patent: November 30, 2010Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbHInventors: Robert Bäuml, Wolfgang Sörgel
-
Publication number: 20100034407Abstract: The invention specifies a hearing device, especially an in-the-ear hearing aid, and a method for suppressing acoustic feedback, with at least one ultrasound signal being emitted by the hearing device. The ultrasound signal reflected and fed back from the environment of the hearing device is picked up by at least one microphone and/or by at least one ultrasound receive unit of the hearing device. A feedback suppression unit of the hearing device is regulated by the picked up and evaluated ultrasound signal. The advantage of this is that feedback suppression in hearing devices can be regulated both quickly and also precisely.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2009Publication date: February 11, 2010Inventors: Stefan Petrausch, Wolfgang Sörgel
-
Publication number: 20090290734Abstract: Multi-stage filter bank systems with filter banks of different bandwidth frequently cause interference in hearing apparatuses and in particular in hearing devices. Therefore a hearing apparatus is proposed with a filter bank system having a multi-stage analysis filter bank and/or a multi-stage synthesis filter bank, to break down an input signal of the hearing apparatus into a number of partial band signals by way of a number of filter bank channels and/or to recombine partial band signals of a number of filter bank channels. The filter bank system is equipped with at least one equalization filter, to equalize differences in the complex frequency responses between filter bank channels.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2009Publication date: November 26, 2009Inventors: Daniel Alfsmann, Robert Bauml, Hanning Puder, Wolfgang Sorgel
-
Publication number: 20090252358Abstract: The noise reduction for signals which can contain speech at least part of the time is to be improved. To this end a hearing apparatus and especially a hearing device with a first estimation device for estimating a first value of an input signal with a first estimation algorithm and a noise reduction device for reducing noise in the input signal are provided. A second estimation device, which is parameterized with the estimated first value, is used for estimating a second value of the input signal with a second estimation algorithm. The noise reduction device receives the estimated second value from the second estimation device for reducing the noise. The two-stage estimation method enables an adaptive estimation to be carried out which is always currently adapted to an input signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2009Publication date: October 8, 2009Inventors: Oliver Dressler, Wolfgang Sorgel
-
Publication number: 20090046878Abstract: The invention relates to an adjustable hearing aid to which at least one parameter which influences the response and amplification characteristics of the hearing aid can be adjusted, with means being included which carry out testing of the effectiveness of an adjustment of this parameter in the prevailing auditory situation, and means being included which, given the existence of a minimum effectiveness, enable the adjustment option of this parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2008Publication date: February 19, 2009Inventors: Wolfgang Sorgel, Andreas Tiefenau
-
Publication number: 20080247577Abstract: The object is to improve the effect of a noise reduction algorithm for hearing apparatuses and in particular hearing aids. This is achieved by a method wherein the input signal is modeled by a wanted signal model and a noise signal model. In addition, a signal statistic of the input signal is recorded in a data logging unit. The wanted signal model and/or the noise signal model can now be changed as a function of said signal statistic. Finally the noise component of the input signal is reduced using the noise signal model and/or the wanted signal model. This means that the models used can be continuously adapted to the hearing apparatus user's current situation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2008Publication date: October 9, 2008Inventors: Oliver Dressler, Eghart Fischer, Ulrich Kornagel, Wolfgang Sorgel
-
Publication number: 20080240449Abstract: Synthetically generated signals are reproduced via a binaural hearing system, which includes two hearing devices. After reproducing a first signal via the first hearing device a reproduction of a second signal via the second hearing device is also carried out delayed by a defined time interval. The additional time delay is to be quantified such that the impression of a sound amplification is produced with a hearing system wearer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2008Publication date: October 2, 2008Inventors: Ulrich Kornagel, Wolfgang Sorgel
-
Publication number: 20080232619Abstract: In the English translation document, please replace the abstract with the following: An unintentional adjustment of the user-controlled control elements on the device can result within the scope of the activation of a hearing device, after a switch-on delay has elapsed. To reduce this risk, a delay in the release of the user-controlled control elements attached to the device is provided in accordance with the invention in addition to the said switch-on delay.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2008Publication date: September 25, 2008Inventors: Philipp Hocht, Wolfgang Sorgel