Hearing Aid Patents (Class 381/23.1)
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Patent number: 8165331Abstract: A hearing apparatus is provided with a housing including a first housing mounting element and a control element that is mounted rotatably in the first housing mounting element via a control mounting element. Furthermore the housing has at least one second housing mounting element so that the control element can be optionally mounted rotatably in the first housing mounting element or in the second housing mounting element. Thus the control element can be actuated in a desired position.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2008Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Stefanie Beyfuβ, Holger Kral, Michael Sattler
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Publication number: 20120093324Abstract: A hearing aid includes a housing, and a hearing aid assembly accommodated in a housing, the hearing aid assembly having a first antenna element configured for emission of an electromagnetic field, and a second antenna element comprising a first section and a parasitic antenna element, wherein the first antenna element, the first section, and the parasitic antenna element are configured so that a total electromagnetic field emitted from the hearing aid assembly is substantially the same irrespective of whether the housing is worn in its operational position on a right hand side or a left hand side of a user.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2011Publication date: April 19, 2012Applicant: GN RESOUND A/SInventor: Özden Sinasi
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Publication number: 20120087505Abstract: A wireless binaural hearing system comprises a left-ear hearing device, a right-ear hearing device and auxiliary devices. The devices communicate via radio signals. Each device comprises a radio transmitter transmitting messages, each hearing device comprises a radio receiver receiving messages, the auxiliary device is adapted to transmit application messages, and the hearing devices are adapted to receive application messages. The quality of wireless communication varies when the user moves his head, which may lead to temporal gaps in communication. Such gaps may cause annoying pauses and/or delays in audio signals presented to the user, and the hearing devices may become temporarily unsynchronised.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2011Publication date: April 12, 2012Applicant: OTICON A/SInventors: Petar POPOVSKI, Peter S. K. HANSEN, Jacob MIDTGAARD
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Publication number: 20120087506Abstract: A hearing aid includes a hearing aid assembly having an antenna for emission of an electromagnetic field, a transceiver for wireless data communication, the transceiver interconnected with the antenna, and a housing for accommodation of the antenna, wherein the antenna comprises a first section having a length between at least one sixteenth wavelength and a full wavelength of the electromagnetic field, the antenna being positioned so that current flows in the first section in a direction that corresponds with an ear-to-ear axis of a user when the housing is worn in its operational position by the user, whereby the electromagnetic field emitted by the antenna propagates along a surface of a head of the user with its electrical field substantially orthogonal to the surface of the head of the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2011Publication date: April 12, 2012Applicant: GN ReSound A/SInventor: Sinasi Özden
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Publication number: 20120070008Abstract: A method of controlling a sound output apparatus is provided. The method includes determining frequency bands respectively corresponding to an audible band and an inaudible band in relation to a sound that is received via the sound output apparatus by referring to hearing characteristics of a user using the sound output apparatus, compensating for a perception degree in relation to the inaudible band by emphasizing information regarding the audible band of the sound based on a result of the determining, and outputting a sound obtained by reflecting the compensating.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Jun-il SOHN, Dong-wook Kim, Hong-sig Kim, Jong-keun Song, Yoon-seo Koo
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Patent number: 8130971Abstract: A manually switching dual-mode hearing protector including an active hearing protection device that does not only provide for acoustic attenuation of ambient sound in order to protect hearing of a user in a noisy environment but in addition provides electro-acoustically bypassing of this acoustic attenuation function in order to provide the user with a communication function in order to enable the user to perceive speech signals even when wearing the manually switching dual-mode hearing protector in a noisy environment.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2006Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Inventor: Theodore J. Werner
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Patent number: 8130990Abstract: In a hearing aid system comprising two hearing aids between which wireless signal transmission is provided. The hearing aids are automatically switched on and off. To this end, a field strength or value of an electromagnetic signal received by a hearing aid that is transmitted from the respective other hearing aid may be determined. The determined value is compared with a threshold value, the relevant hearing aid being switched off (sleep mode), as long as the field strength is greater than the threshold value and the hearing aid being switched on as long as the measured field strength is lower than the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2008Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbHInventor: Jürgen Reithinger
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Patent number: 8126153Abstract: A binaural supply with a hearing system is to be enabled, whereby the computing outlay and energy consumption are to be kept as minimal as possible. A hearing system comprising a first hearing apparatus including a first signal input facility and a first communication facility and a second hearing apparatus including a second signal input facility, a second communication facility for receiving a signal from the first communication facility and a second signal processing facility for processing signals from the second signal input facility and the second communication facility are provided to form a common output signal. The signal transmitted from the first to the second communication facility corresponds to a real spectral part of the overall frequency spectrum of the first input signal. As only one part of the overall spectrum is transmitted and/or binaurally processed, the computing outlay and energy consumption is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2009Date of Patent: February 28, 2012Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.Inventor: Eghart Fischer
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Patent number: 8121321Abstract: The hearing aids comprise a microphone, a signal processor, and a receiver, and have a constitution in which the microphone generates an input signal from an input sound and generate an output signal and send it to the ear on the opposite side only when a specific condition is satisfied with respect to the input signal at the signal processor, and the receiver reproduces an output sound from the output signal.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2010Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventor: Kenji Iwano
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Patent number: 8121298Abstract: The invention is a hearing aid that is mounted on both the left and right ears and generates a notification sound to notify the user to a state change. This hearing aid comprises a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid mounted on the left and right ears, respectively. The first and second hearing aids each have a communication unit, an operating unit, a notification sound generator, and a notification sound generation delay unit. The communication unit performs communication between the first and second hearing aids. The operating unit changes the operating state of the first and second hearing aids. The notification sound generator generates a notification sound when the operating state of the first and second hearing aids changes due to operating of the operating unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2011Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Akira Ochi, Yasushi Ueda, Shigekiyo Fujii
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Patent number: 8111839Abstract: A system that records audio and stores the recording is provided. The system includes first and second monitoring assemblies mounted in an earpiece that occludes and forms an acoustic seal of an ear canal. The first monitoring assembly includes an ambient sound microphone (ASM) to monitor an ambient acoustic field and produce an ASM signal. The second monitoring assembly includes an ear canal microphone (ECM) to monitor an acoustic field within the ear canal and produce an ECM signal. The system also includes a data storage device configured to act as a circular buffer for continually storing at least one of the ECM signal or the ASM signal, a further data storage device and a record-activation system. The record-activation system activates the further data storage device to record a content of the data storage device.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2008Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Personics Holdings Inc.Inventors: Steven Wayne Goldstein, John Usher
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Publication number: 20120008790Abstract: Sound sources are reliably localized using a multichannel hearing system, in particular a binaural hearing system. The method localizes at least one audio source by detecting a signal in a prescribed class, the signal stemming from the audio source, in an input signal in the multichannel hearing system. The audio source is then localized using the detected signal. First, the nature of the signal is established over a wide band and then the location of the source is determined.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2011Publication date: January 12, 2012Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.Inventor: Vaclav Bouse
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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
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Publication number: 20110305345Abstract: A method for a multi microphone noise reduction in a complex noisy environment is proposed. A left and a right noise power spectral density for a left and a right noise input frame is estimated for computing a diffuse noise gain. A target speech power spectral density is extracted from the noise input frame. A directional noise gain is calculated from the target speech power spectral density and the noise power spectral density. The noisy input frame is filtered by Kalman filtering method. A Kalman based gain is generated from the Kalman filtered noisy frame and the noise power spectral density. A spectral enhancement gain is computed by combining the diffuse noise gain, the directional noise gain, and the Kalman based gain. The method reduces different combinations of diverse background noise and increases speech intelligibility, while guaranteeing to preserve the interaural cues of the target speech and directional background noises.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2010Publication date: December 15, 2011Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWAInventors: Martin Bouchard, Homayoun Kamkar Parsi
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Patent number: 8073171Abstract: So as to adapt an antenna arrangement (13) for RF-signal transmission in a hearing device (5) to different needs of different types of signal-transmission, the bandwidth BW of the antenna arrangement (13) is manually (M) and/or automatically (A) adjusted.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2006Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: Phonak AGInventors: Stefan Haenggi, Herbert Baechler
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Patent number: 8069022Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed whereby a point on an ear impression model to be labeled is selected and a shape context is determined for that point. This shape context is then compared to average shape contexts for different regions on a reference ear impression model, also referred to herein as an ear impression shape atlas. A cost function is used to determine the minimum cost between the shape context for the selected point and one of the average shape contexts. Once the minimized cost is determined, the region label corresponding to the average shape context having a minimized cost is assigned to that point. In this way, points on the surface of an ear impression are classified and labeled as being located in regions corresponding to the regions on the ear impression shape atlas.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2006Date of Patent: November 29, 2011Assignee: Siemens CorporationInventors: Gregory G. Slabaugh, Gozde Unal, Tong Fang
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Patent number: 8059825Abstract: The data of a hearing device system with two hearing devices are to be available in a more comfortable manner. To this end, provision is made for each of the two hearing devices to be equipped with a data acquisition facility, in order to acquire internal signal processing data and/or external data. The two data acquisition facilities and/or the hearing devices are designed to establish a wireless communication link. A synchronized data acquisition is possible in both hearing devices with the aid of this link. This binaural wireless data logging dispenses with the need for comparing the recording times (synchronization). A division of the recording onto two hearing devices enables storage capacity to be saved.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2007Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbHInventor: Matthias Latzel
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Patent number: 8050439Abstract: This hearing aid system comprises a first hearing aid (1) and the second hearing aid (2) mounted on the right ear. These each have a microphone (101) for inputting ambient sound, a hearing aid processor (102) for subjecting sound inputted from the microphone (101) to hearing aid processing, a speaker (103) for outputting sound that has undergone the hearing aid processing, a communication component (107) for performing wireless communication, and a battery (104) for supplying electrical power to the microphone (101), the hearing aid processor (102), the communication component (107), and the speaker (103). The first hearing aid (1) and the second hearing aid (2) have a battery charge detector (105) for detecting the remaining charge of the battery.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2010Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Junichi Inoshita, Yasushi Ueda, Yasushi Imamura, Hiroyoshi Inoshita
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Publication number: 20110249823Abstract: Level compression applied to the acoustic signals (18) received by a binaural hearing aid system (1) counteracts the preservation of inter-aural level differences (ILD) and thereby reduces the user's ability to locate the sound source and consequently his or her ability to understand speech in noisy environments. It is therefore known to increase the gain (57) in the hearing aid (2) receiving the louder signal and/or decreasing the gain (58) in the hearing aid (3) receiving the quieter signal, which at least in part allows for preserving the ILDs. However, in some situations this instead reduces the user's ability to understand speech, e.g. when acoustic noise is received at one ear (4) at a higher level (53, 54) than simultaneous speech at the other ear (5).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2011Publication date: October 13, 2011Inventors: Anders Højsgaard Thomsen, Thomas Kaulberg, Hong Suong Han
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Publication number: 20110243339Abstract: The perception of musical sound with a music component and a speech component is intended to be improved. To this end, a method is proposed for controlling a binaural hearing system with a left hearing-device for a left ear and a right hearing-device for a right ear, which method contains the below described steps. First of all, the hearing system determines a hearing situation with the music component and the speech component. Thereupon, one of the two hearing devices is switched into a music mode and, at the same time, the other one of the two hearing devices is switched into a speech mode. The hearing-aid wearer himself/herself can then decide which component of the sound he/she would rather listen to.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2011Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.Inventors: Kerser Ang, Vivian Wong
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Patent number: 8014871Abstract: A prosthetic hearing device comprising a biocompatible housing having a surface that vibrates in response to sound waves traveling through tissue; and an interferometer mounted in the housing, the interferometer is constructed and arranged to generate a light beam that impinges on a reflective interior surface of the vibrating surface, and to receive light reflected from the reflective interior surface. The device detects ambient sound by impinging a light beam on a portion of the vibrating surface; receiving light reflected from the reflective portion; measuring the movement of the vibrating surface based on an interference pattern of the impinging and reflected light; and determining at least a frequency of the incident sound wave based on the interference pattern.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2007Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: Cochlear LimitedInventors: James Dalton, Allira Gofers
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Publication number: 20110188662Abstract: A hearing aid system comprising means (304) for receiving a multi-channel digitally encoded audio signal (301) and means (306) for rendering said received multi-channel signal into a binaural stereo signal. The invention further provides a method for replaying audio streams in hearing aids.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2011Publication date: August 4, 2011Applicant: WIDEX A/SInventors: Morten Holm JENSEN, Mike Lind RANK, Preben KIDMOSE
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Publication number: 20110176685Abstract: The invention concerns in a first aspect an audio system comprising a microphone, audio signal processing means, an output transducer and means for detecting a possible feedback tone and the corresponding frequency of the feedback tone in the audio system between the output transducer and the microphone. According to the invention means for counteracting feedback are provided. Further, means are provided for changing the phase of the audio signal at a given frequency. In a further aspect, a binaural hearing aid system comprising first and second hearing instruments according to the first aspect, each hearing instrument comprising transceiver circuitry allowing an exchange of signals between the two hearing instruments, and wherein the binaural hearing aid system is adapted to provide that a phase change introduced in the first audio signal by a controller of the first hearing instrument is or can be introduced in the second audio signal of the second hearing instrument via said transceiver circuitry.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2011Publication date: July 21, 2011Applicant: OTICON A/SInventors: Thomas Bo Elmedyb, Johan Hellgren
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Publication number: 20110129094Abstract: The application relates to a binaural listening system comprising first and second listening devices adapted for being located at or in left and right ears, respectively, of a person during use of the listening system, each listening device comprising antenna and transceiver circuitry for establishing a bidirectional wireless link to the opposite listening device during use of the system, each listening device comprising a manually operable activation element for influencing the functionality of the listening system in a predefined way, the manually operable activation element having at least one mode of operation. The application further relates to use of binaural listening system and to a method of operating a binaural listening system. The object of the present application is to provide a scheme for enabling a user input in a binaural listening system.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2010Publication date: June 2, 2011Applicant: OTICON A/SInventor: Peter PETERSEN
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Patent number: 7876906Abstract: Various methods and apparatus for processing audio signals are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device which can enhance and/or optimize received audio signals for vibrational conduction to the user. Received audio signals may be processed to cancel acoustic echo such that undesired sounds received by one or more intra-buccal and/or extra-buccal microphones are eliminated or mitigated. Additionally, a multiband actuation system may be used where two or more transducers each deliver sounds within certain frequencies. Also, the assembly may also utilize the sensation of directionality via the conducted vibrations to emulate directional perception of audio signals received by the user. Another feature may include the ability to vibrationally conduct ancillary audio signals to the user along with primary audio signals.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2007Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.Inventor: Amir Abolfathi
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Patent number: 7877121Abstract: The modular wireless headset includes at least one wearable earpiece and at least one wearable microphone, where the earpiece is physically separate from the microphone. The wearable earpiece is operably to render inbound radio frequencies received from a host device audible. To do this, the wearable earpiece includes, at least, a receiver module, a data recovery module, and a speaker module. The receiver module is operably coupled to convert the inbound RF signals. The data recovery module is operably coupled to recover audio signals from the RF signals. The speaker module is operably coupled to render the audio signals audible. The wearable microphone is operable to convert received audio signals into outbound RF signals, where the outbound RF signals are transmitted to the host device. The wearable microphone includes, at least, an audio input module and a transmitter module. The audio input module is operably coupled to convert received analog audio signals into digital audio signals.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2009Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Nambirajan Seshadri, James D. Bennett
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Patent number: 7860262Abstract: A hearing device has a transfer function adjustable by a set of parameters. The hearing device can have two microphones, a processing unit, and a speaker unit. A direction identification unit is operationally connected to the processing unit. Communication between a user of the hearing device and at least one reference person is ensured for changing positions of the user and/or the reference person. The transfer function is adjusted as a function of at least one current reference person direction by changing the set of parameters. The reference person direction encloses an angle with a reference plane of the user.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2008Date of Patent: December 28, 2010Assignee: Phonak AGInventor: Peter Drtina
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Publication number: 20100290631Abstract: A binaural hearing apparatus has at least one left hearing device and at least one right hearing device. The apparatus further includes a first frequency distortion unit in the left hearing device, which distorts the frequency of an acoustic signal received by the left hearing device or a signal part of the received acoustic signal and a second frequency distortion unit in the right hearing device, which distorts the frequency of the acoustic signal received by the right hearing device or a signal part of the received acoustic signal, with the frequency distortions of the left and right hearing device being different. This is advantageous in that the subjective perception of superimposition artifacts by a hearing device wearer is reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2010Publication date: November 18, 2010Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.Inventor: Stefan Petrausch
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Patent number: 7831052Abstract: In a method and an acoustic system that generate a stereo signal for each of multiple. separate sources, a blind source separation of at least two microphone signals is conducted to acquire BSS filters. Each of the microphone signals is filtered with its own filter transfer function that is the quotient of a power density spectral portion of the respective sound source and the overall power density spectrum of the respective microphone signal, such that two stereo signals are obtained for each microphone signal. An approximation of the signals to be separated, for example for each of two hearing devices, is thereby possible.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2005Date of Patent: November 9, 2010Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbHInventor: Henning Puder
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Patent number: 7822217Abstract: Systems, devices and methods are provided for diotically presenting second-order gradient directional hearing aid signals. The present subject matter provides an improved signal-to-noise ratio, and presents a desired directional signal to each ear. One aspect is a hearing aid system. In one embodiment, the system includes a first microphone system in a first device and a second microphone system in a second device. The first microphone system has a first output signal, and the second microphone system has a second output signal. Each output signal includes a first-order directional signal. The system further includes a first receiver circuit and a second receiver circuit. The combination of the first output signal and the second output signal provides a diotic presentation of a second-order gradient signal to both the first receiver circuit and the second receiver circuit. Other aspects are provided herein.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2008Date of Patent: October 26, 2010Assignee: Micro Ear Technology, Inc.Inventors: Lawrence Hagen, Mark A. Bren, Randall W. Roberts, Timothy S. Peterson, David A. Preves
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Patent number: 7813698Abstract: A modular wireless headset includes wearable earpiece(s) and wearable microphone(s), where the earpiece and microphone may be physically separate devices. The wearable earpiece renders inbound radio frequencies received from a host device audible. The wearable earpiece may include a receiver module, data recovery module, and speaker module. The receiver module may convert inbound RF signals into low intermediate frequency (IF) signals. The data recovery module recovers audio signals from the low IF signals. The speaker module renders the audio signals audible. The wearable microphone converts received audio signals into outbound RF signals, where the outbound RF signals are transmitted to the host device. The wearable microphone includes an audio input module and a transmitter module. The audio input module is operably coupled to convert received analog audio signals into digital audio signals. The transmitter module is operably coupled to convert the digital audio signals into the outbound RF signals.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2009Date of Patent: October 12, 2010Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Nambirajan Seshadri, James D. Bennett, Jeyhan Karaoguz
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Publication number: 20100254538Abstract: A method and an associated hearing aid for loudness-based adjustment of the amplification of the hearing aid by presenting test signals of a predefinable level and predefinable frequency. Blind signals are presented before and between the test signals, but the blind signals are not taken into account for the adjustment of the amplification of the hearing aid at the predefinable level and predefinable frequency. A method for binaural loudness-based adjustment of the amplification of a left hearing aid and a right hearing aid is also specified. An advantage of the invention is that it is easier for a hearing aid wearer to rank the presented test signals in his individual loudness value system and to assess them accordingly.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2010Publication date: October 7, 2010Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.Inventor: Matthias Latzel
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Patent number: 7796769Abstract: Various methods and apparatus for processing audio signals are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device which can enhance and/or optimize received audio signals for vibrational conduction to the user. Received audio signals may be processed to cancel acoustic echo such that undesired sounds received by one or more intra-buccal and/or extra-buccal microphones are eliminated or mitigated. Additionally, a multiband actuation system may be used where two or more transducers each deliver sounds within certain frequencies. Also, the assembly may also utilize the sensation of directionality via the conducted vibrations to emulate directional perception of audio signals received by the user. Another feature may include the ability to vibrationally conduct ancillary audio signals to the user along with primary audio signals.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2007Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.Inventor: Amir Abolfathi
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Patent number: 7784583Abstract: A deep insertion vented earpiece system is described including resilient earpieces shaped to a wearer's ear canal for a conformal fit. A receptacle is provided within the outer surface of each earpiece for releasably receiving an audio plug. The audio plugs include a miniature loudspeaker and a pair of external ribs for mating with a corresponding pair of grooves formed along the periphery of the receptacle. This rib and groove feature provides for a secure retention of the audio plugs while enabling a simple removal operation. Each earpiece includes an audio passage to conduct the audio signal from the loudspeaker and a vent passage to enable continuous venting of the wearer's ear to atmosphere.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2006Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air ForceInventors: John Allan Hall, Karl Cartwright, Kris Cartwright
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Patent number: 7764798Abstract: A wireless communications apparatus comprises a monitor component that analyzes transmitter operating parameters of the wireless communications apparatus. A generator component generates an acoustic anti-phase burst based at least in part upon the analyzed transmitter operating parameters, wherein the acoustic anti-phase burst reduces effects of radio frequency interference received at a hearing aid.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2006Date of Patent: July 27, 2010Assignee: Cingular Wireless II, LLCInventors: Scott D. Prather, Herman Chien, Michael E. Prise
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Publication number: 20100183158Abstract: According to one aspect, a system for binaural hearing enhancement, including at least one auditory receiver and at least one processor coupled to the at least one auditory receiver. The at least one auditory receiver is configured to receive an auditory signal that includes a target signal. The at least one processor configured to extract a plurality of auditory cues from the auditory signal, prioritize at least one of the plurality of auditory cues based on the robustness of the auditory cues, and based on the prioritized auditory cues, extract the target signal from the auditory signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2009Publication date: July 22, 2010Inventors: Simon Haykin, Karl Wiklund
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Patent number: 7761291Abstract: The invention regards a method for processing audio-signals whereby audio signals are captured at two spaced apart locations and subject to a transformation in the perceptual domain (Bar or Mel), whereupon: a) a (blind or supervised) source separation process is performed to give a first estimate of the wanted signal parts and the noise parts of the microphone signals and b) a coherence based separation process is performed to give a second estimate of the wanted signal parts and the noise parts of the microphone signals, and where further a sound field diffuseness detection is performed on the at least two signals, whereby further the sound field diffuseness detections is used to mix the output from the blind source separation and the coherence based separation process in order to achieve the best possible signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2004Date of Patent: July 20, 2010Assignee: Bernafon AGInventors: Philippe Renevey, Philippe Vuadens, Rolf Vetter, Stephan Dasen
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Patent number: 7756276Abstract: A method of adjusting frequency-dependent amplification in an audio amplification apparatus. The audio amplification apparatus includes a forward transfer path (2) connectable to an output transducer, the forward transfer path including a frequency transposing element. The method includes the steps of: presenting stimuli to the output transducer at a plurality of frequencies; adjusting the stimulus level (C) at each frequency to meet a predefined loudness perception level or detection threshold of the listener; deriving an equal loudness contour of output transducer levels from the adjusted stimuli levels; and deriving the frequency-dependent amplification of levels of input signals (I) at each frequency.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2005Date of Patent: July 13, 2010Assignee: Phonak AGInventors: Adam Hersbach, Hugh McDermott, Andrea Simpson
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Publication number: 20100172506Abstract: The hearing aids comprise a microphone, a signal processor, and a receiver, and have a constitution in which the microphone generates an input signal from an input sound and generate an output signal and send it to the ear on the opposite side only when a specific condition is satisfied with respect to the input signal at the signal processor, and the receiver reproduces an output sound from the output signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2010Publication date: July 8, 2010Inventor: Kenji IWANO
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Publication number: 20100150356Abstract: A binaural hearing aid system for a user is set forth. The system includes a casing adapted and constructed to encase a hearing aid system suitable for wearing below the neck of the user. A first digital signal processor, having an audio input from a first microphone of the hearing system, is also provided. The first digital signal processor produces a first audio output corresponding to a first hearing profile. A second digital signal processor having the audio input from the second microphone of the hearing system is also provided. The second digital signal processor produces a second audio output corresponding to a second hearing profile.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2010Publication date: June 17, 2010Inventors: Michael Uzuanis, Richard Uzuanis
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Publication number: 20100135500Abstract: A method of providing binaural hearing assistance to a user, comprising: capturing audio signals at an ear unit worn at each side of the users head; defining a target signal with regard to background noise; determining the difference in the target-signal-to-background-noise ratio of the audio signals captured at the each ear unit; exchanging audio signals between each ear unit according to the determined difference in the target-signal-to-background-noise ratio; selecting, as a function of the determined difference in the target-signal-to-background-noise ratio, as input to each of the stimulating means the audio signals captured at the respective ear unit, the audio signals received from the other one of the ear units, and/or mixtures thereof; and stimulating the user's right ear and the user's left ear according to the selected respective audio signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2007Publication date: June 3, 2010Applicant: PHONAK AGInventors: Ralph Peter Derleth, Stefan Launer
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Patent number: 7729775Abstract: Psychophysical tests are administered to cochlear implant (CI) users to determine a spectral modulation transfer function (SMTF), the smallest detectable spectral contrast as a function of spectral modulation frequency, for each individual CI user. The determined SMTF for individual CI user is compared against a SMTF of a normal hearing person to determine the specific enhancements needed. A spectral contrast enhancement that best fits the needed enhancements for the individual CI user is selected, and a sound processing strategy is adjusted to provide customized spectral contrast enhancement for the individual CI user. The sound processing strategy implemented includes an outer hair cell model.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2006Date of Patent: June 1, 2010Assignee: Advanced Bionics, LLCInventors: Aniket Saoji, Leonid M. Litvak, Gene Y. Fridman
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Patent number: 7715572Abstract: A kit for preparing a custom-fit ear protection molding is provided having a first container containing a compliant material and a second container containing a hardening agent such that when the compliant material and the hardening agent are combined and kneaded, a resulting compound is formed which may be inserted into the ear of a user and allowed to cure. A method of affecting the hearing of a user is provided. A method of selling a hearing-protection kit is also provided along with a method of manufacturing the disclosed kit.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2006Date of Patent: May 11, 2010Inventors: Joe A. Solomito, Jr., George B. Kawell
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Publication number: 20100067707Abstract: In a hearing aid system having a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid for providing binaural hearing assistance to a user, the hearing aid for providing hearing assistance to the left ear can easily be confused with the hearing aid for providing hearing assistance to the right ear. The invention proposes a side detection device by means of which each hearing aid detects on or in which ear of the user it is currently being worn. Advantageously, the parameter settings for providing hearing assistance to both ears are stored in both hearing aids of a respective hearing aid system, with the result that following the automatic detection of the respective ear in which the respective hearing aid is currently being worn the corresponding parameter settings are also activated automatically.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2009Publication date: March 18, 2010Inventor: Claus-Dieter Schwerdtner
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Patent number: 7672823Abstract: In a computerized method for adherence to physical restrictions in the construction of an ITE hearing aid, each component to be placed in the shell of the hearing aid has a collision plot associated therewith. The collision plot is generated as a scatter plot by measurement and simulation, and represents the physical extent of the influence of a particular property of the component on other components. When virtual representations of the respective components are moved relative to another in the e-detailing software for determining the physical positions of the components in the ITE hearing aid, the collision plot for a given component is visually displayed, so that it can easily be seen when another component invades that collision plot, thereby representing an unacceptably close relative position of the two components.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2006Date of Patent: March 2, 2010Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Peter Nikles, Erika Martinewski, Volker Gebhardt, Bassem Ismail, Artem Boltyenkov, Frank McBagonluri
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Publication number: 20100002887Abstract: A hearing system and a method for operating a binaural hearing system include at least two hearing devices to be at least partly inserted into or to be worn behind the left and right ear of a user. Each hearing device includes at least one microphone to generate an electrical signal corresponding to an acoustic signal. The method includes determining contra-lateral information based on an acoustic signal recorded by a microphone of the contra-lateral hearing device, and determining ipsi-lateral information based on an acoustic signal recorded by a microphone of the ipsi-lateral hearing device. The method includes providing a coordination level, the coordination level being indicative of a degree of synchronization of the two hearing devices, and adjusting processes in the ipsi-lateral hearing device in accordance with the coordination level. The coordination level can be determined from the contra-lateral information and/or from the ipsi-lateral information, or be obtained from an external device.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2007Publication date: January 7, 2010Applicant: PHONAK AGInventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Manuela Feilner
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Publication number: 20100002888Abstract: In one aspect a coding of stereophonic audio signals based on inter-channel linear prediction is provided. Each of the two channels is predicted by filtering the center stereo image of both the channels. Optimal filter coefficients are calculated for both channels is a generalization of Mid/Side and Left/Right joint-stereo coding.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2009Publication date: January 7, 2010Inventors: Hauke Kruger, Peter Vary
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Publication number: 20100002886Abstract: The binaural hearing system (1) comprises ITF means (3a;3b) for providing at least one interaural transfer function (30a;30b); noise reduction means (5a;5b) for performing noise reduction in dependence of said at least one interaural transfer function. The method of operating a binaural hearing system (1) comprises the steps of providing at least one interaural transfer function (30a;30b); performing noise reduction in dependence of said at least one interaural transfer function. Preferably, said noise reduction means (5a;5b) comprises two binaural Wiener filters (5a,5b) each having a cost function comprising at least one term describing a desired interaural transfer function, wherein said at least one interaural transfer function provided by said ITF means (3a,3b) is assigned to said at least one term. Preferably, said cost function comprises a speech distortion term, a residual noise term and two ITF terms for preserving the interaural transfer functions of speech and noise components.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2007Publication date: January 7, 2010Applicant: PHONAK AGInventors: Simon Doclo, Thomas J. Klasen, Marc Moonen, Tim Van Den Bogaert, Jan Wouters, Ralph Peter Derleth, Sascha Korl
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Publication number: 20090304187Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method of automatic switching between omnidirectional (OMNI) and directional (DIR) microphone modes in a binaural hearing aid comprising a first microphone system for the provision of a first input signal, a second microphone system for the provision of a second input signal, where the first microphone system is adapted to be placed in or at a first ear of a user, the second microphone system is adapted to be placed in or at a second ear of said user, the method comprising a measurement step, where the spectral and temporal modulations of the first and second input signal are monitored, an C evaluation step, where the spectral and temporal modulations of the first and second input signal are evaluated by the calculation of an evaluation index of speech intelligibility for each of said signals, and an operational step, where the microphone mode of the first and the second microphone systems of the binaural hearing aid are selected in dependence of the calculated evaluation iType: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2007Publication date: December 10, 2009Applicant: GN ReSound A/SInventor: Andrew Burke Dittberner
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Publication number: 20090304188Abstract: A method of enhancing the intelligibility of sounds including the steps of: detecting primary sounds emanating from a first direction and producing a primary signal; detecting secondary sounds emanating from the left and right of the first direction and producing secondary signals; delaying the primary signal with respect to the secondary signals; and presenting combinations of the signals to the left and right sides of the auditory system of a listener.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2007Publication date: December 10, 2009Applicant: Hearworks Pty Ltd.Inventors: Jorge Patricio Mejia, Simon Carlille, Harvey Albert Dillon