Abstract: A personal audio assistant includes a housing for a device, a first microphone within or on the housing where the first microphone captures audio, a communication module within the housing, a logic circuit communicatively coupled to the device, and an interaction element. The interaction element and logic circuit are configured to initiate control of audio content or initiate at least an operation of the device in response to an analysis of the audio. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A hearing aid comprises a resulting beam former (Y) for providing a resulting beamformed signal YBF based on first and second electric input signals IN1 and IN2, first and second sets of complex frequency dependent weighting parameters W11(k), W12(k) and W21(k), W22(k), and a resulting complex, frequency dependent adaptation parameter ?(k). ?(k) may be determined as <C2*·C1>/<(|C2|2>+c), where * denotes the complex conjugation and · denotes the statistical expectation operator, and c is a constant, and wherein said adaptive beam former filtering unit (BFU) comprises a smoothing unit for implementing said statistical expectation operator by smoothing the complex expression C2*·C1 and the real expression |C2>2 over time.

Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein may relate to hearing aids, and may relate more particularly to adjusting one or more parameters for one or more hearing aids based, at least in part, on one or more digital audio parameters converted from an electrical audio signal or on one or more characteristics of a particular environment, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: An earpiece designed to fit a substantial majority (over 90%) of people without customization to the outer ears, i.e., without the need to make customized measurements or a mold of the actual ear of an individual.

Abstract: According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, operations may include obtaining multiple microphone signals derived from a microphone array that includes a multiple omnidirectional microphones. Each of the microphone signals may be derived from a different microphone of the microphone array. The operations may further include determining whether the microphone signals include noise, such as wind noise, based on two or more of the plurality of microphone signals. In addition, the operations may include generating an output signal based on a beamformed signal or a reduced-noise signal based on whether the microphone signals are determined to include noise.

Abstract: An earpiece comprising an earbud, which is arranged such that it may be inserted into the ear canal of a user, and a housing, which houses at least one microphone that is arranged to sample the ambient environment, the housing comprising a port through which sound may be received by the microphone, the earpiece being arranged such that when the earbud is inserted into the ear canal of a user the microphone samples the ambient environment between the earpiece and the concha.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating an electronic device may include: acquiring the battery status information of two or more element devices, and determining whether the battery status information satisfies a reference condition. A function of at least one device among the two or more element devices is controlled based on the information such as the battery status information.

Abstract: A method operates a hearing device. The hearing device contains two acceleration sensors, which each provide a sensor signal and by which an orientation of the head of the user is established. The sensor signals of both acceleration sensors are used in combination for establishing the orientation, and an operating parameter of the hearing device is set depending on the orientation.

Abstract: A binaural hearing assistance method and system comprising left and right hearing assistance devices and a user interface are provided. The left and right hearing assistance devices comprises a) at least two input units for providing a time-frequency representation of an input signal in a number of frequency bands and a number of time instances; and b) a multi-input unit noise reduction system comprising a multi-channel beamformer filtering unit operationally coupled to said at least two input units and configured to provide a beamformed signal. The binaural hearing assistance system is configured to allow a user to indicate a direction to or location of a target signal source relative to the user via said user interface.

Abstract: According to the invention, a system for converting sound to electrical signals is disclosed. The system may include a gaze tracking device and a microphone. The gaze tracking device may determine a gaze direction of a user. The microphone may be more sensitive in a selected direction than at least one other direction and alter the selected direction based at least in part on the gaze direction determined by the gaze tracking device.

Abstract: A behind-the-ear sound processor module includes a BTE-housing; an adjustable microphone module attached to the BTE-housing for capturing input audio signals from ambient sound; and a sound processor unit for generating, from the input audio signals, a neural hearing stimulation signal to be supplied to an implantable neural stimulation arrangement, wherein the microphone module comprises a plurality of microphones and a support element for carrying the microphones, wherein the support element is movable between a beamformer position enabling the plurality of microphones to act as a directional microphone array in a beamformer audio signal processing mode of the sound processor unit and a T-Mic position enabling at least one of the microphones to act as a T-Mic in a T-Mic audio signal processing mode of the sound processor unit at a position closer to the entrance of the ear canal than in the beamformer position.

Abstract: The present invention includes methods, circuits, devices, systems and associated computer executable code for acquiring, processing and rendering acoustic signals. According to some embodiments, one or more direction specific audio signals may be generated using a microphone array comprising two or more microphones and an audio stream generator. The audio stream generator may receive a direction parameter from an optical tracking system. There may be provided an audio rendering system adapted to normalize and/or balance acoustic signals acquired from a soundscape.

Abstract: A device and method for sensing including a sensor having a functional surface layer located to interact with a material to be sensed, the sensor having an output that produces a signal responsive one or more of inertia, stiffness, acceleration, pressure, radiation, chemical compounds, and biological compounds; and further including electronics including: an input coupled to the sensor to receive a first signal therefrom; and a non-linearity provider that applies one or more non-linear operations to the input signal to generate a non-linear second signal.

Abstract: A hearing device includes: an antenna for converting a first wireless input signal of a first external source to an antenna output signal; a radio transceiver for converting the antenna output signal to a transceiver input signal; a set of microphones comprising a first microphone for provision of a first microphone input signal; a pre-processing unit connected to the radio transceiver and the first microphone for pre-processing the transceiver input signal and the first microphone input signal; a processor for processing input signals and providing an electrical output signal based on the input signals; a receiver for converting the electrical output signal to an audio output signal; and a processing controller comprising a direction estimator configured to estimate a head direction of a user of the hearing device; wherein the hearing device is configured to select and apply a processing scheme based on the estimated head direction.

Abstract: Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for a hearing device antenna. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a hearing device configured to be worn in an ear of a wearer to perform wireless communication. The hearing device includes a housing, hearing electronics within the housing, and an inverted F antenna or loop antenna disposed at least partially in the housing and configured for performing 2.4 GHz wireless communication. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the antenna protrudes from an exterior of the housing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for generating a model of the geometric relationships between various audio sources recorded by a multi-camera system. The spatial audio scene module associates source signals, extracted from recorded audio, of audio sources to visual objects identified in videos recorded by one or more cameras. This association may be based on estimated positions of the audio sources based on relative signal gains and delays of the source signal received at each microphone. The estimated positions of audio sources are tracked indirectly by tracking the associated visual objects with computer vision. A virtual microphone module may receive a position for a virtual microphone and synthesize a signal corresponding to the virtual microphone position based on the estimated positions of the audio sources.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for utilizing digital microphones in low power keyword detection and noise suppression. An example method includes receiving a first acoustic signal representing at least one sound captured by a digital microphone. The first acoustic signal includes buffered data transmitted with a first clock frequency. The digital microphone may provide voice activity detection. The example method also includes receiving at least one second acoustic signal representing the at least one sound captured by a second microphone, the at least one second acoustic signal including real-time data. The first and second acoustic signals are provided to an audio processing system which may include noise suppression and keyword detection. The buffered portion may be sent with a higher, second clock frequency to eliminate a delay of the first acoustic signal from the second acoustic signal. Providing the signals may also include delaying the second acoustic signal.

Abstract: The present application discloses hearing prostheses with two modes of operation and methods for operating the prostheses. In the first mode of operation, a hearing prosthesis receives a microphone input and produces an output based on the microphone input. In the second mode of operation, the hearing prosthesis may detect an accessory input signal and switch to an accessory input mode. The second mode of operation may produce an output that is based at least in part on the accessory input signal. Some embodiments may include detecting an accessory input signal with a detector. In response to detecting an accessory input signal, the hearing prosthesis may switch to an accessory operation mode. When the accessory input signal is not detected, the hearing prosthesis may operate in microphone operation mode.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for broadening the beamwidth of beamforming and postfiltering using a plurality of beamformers and signal and power spectral density mixing, and controlling a postfilter based on spatial activity detection such that de-reverberation or noise reduction is performed when a speech source is between the first and second beams.

Abstract: The invention relates to a binaural hearing aid device, comprising a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid, respectively. Each hearing aid comprises a microphone unit, a receiver unit, an audio processor and a speaker unit. The microphone unit is configured to receive an acoustic front tone, indicative of a front part of a surround sound, and to convert the acoustic front tone into an electric front signal. The receiver unit is configured to receive a wireless rear communication signal, indicative of a rear part of the surround sound, and to convert the rear communication signal into an electric rear signal.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for detecting sensory outcome issues through an analysis of data representing the direction of incidence/arrival of a sensory input and inertial data representing movement of the recipient's head following detection of the sensory input. By correlating recipient head movement (including lack of movement) with the arrival direction of the sensory input, a sensory prosthesis system can determine whether or not the recipient acted as expected and, if not, whether a sensory outcome problem is present.

Abstract: A device and method for sensing including a sensor having a functional surface layer located to interact with a material to be sensed, the sensor having an output that produces a signal responsive one or more of inertia, stiffness, acceleration, pressure, radiation, chemical compounds, and biological compounds; and further including electronics including: an input coupled to the sensor to receive a first signal therefrom; and a non-linearity provider that applies one or more non-linear operations to the input signal to generate a non-linear second signal.

Abstract: A pair of earphones have microphone arrays each including a front microphone and a rear microphone. A processor uses a first set of filters to combine the four microphone signals to generate a far-field signal that is more sensitive to sounds originating a short distance away from the earphones than to sounds close to the apparatus, and provides the far-field signal to the speakers for output. The processor also uses a second set of filters to combine the four microphone signals to generate a near-field signal that is more sensitive to voice signals from a person wearing the earphones than to sounds originating away from the earphones, and provides the near-field signal to a communication system.

Abstract: A tinnitus method and device for providing relief to a person suffering from the disturbing effects of tinnitus is described. The method can be implemented entirely in software to spectrally modify an audio signal in accordance with a predetermined masking algorithm which modifies the intensity of the audio signal at selected frequencies. A predetermined masking algorithm is described which provides intermittent masking of the tinnitus wherein, at a comfortable listening level, during peaks of the audio signal the tinnitus is completely obscured, whereas during troughs the perception of the tinnitus occasionally emerges. In practice it has been found that such intermittent masking provides an immediate sense of relief, control and relaxation for the person, while enabling sufficient perception of the tinnitus for habituation and long term treatment to occur. Advantageously the predetermined masking algorithm is specifically tailored to the audiometric configuration of the person.

Abstract: A hearing assistance device for use by a listener includes a microphone, a receiver, and a processing circuit including a plurality of functional modules to process the sounds received by the microphone for producing output sounds to be delivered to the listener using the receiver. The processing circuit detects one or more auditory conditions demanding one or more functional modules of the plurality of functional modules to each performed at a certain level, and dynamically allocates computational resources for the plurality of functional modules based on one or more auditory conditions.

Abstract: One example discloses an apparatus for voice communication, including: a first wireless device including a first pressure sensor having a first acoustical profile and configured to capture a first set of acoustic energy within a time window; wherein the first wireless device includes a near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) signal input; wherein the first wireless device includes a processing element configured to: receive, through the NFMI signal input, a second set of acoustic energy captured by a second pressure sensor, having a second acoustical profile, within a second wireless device and within the time window; apply a signal enhancement technique to the first and second sets of acoustic energy based on the first and second acoustical profiles; and output an enhanced voice signal based on applying the signal enhancement.

Abstract: A method operates a hearing device. The hearing device contains two acceleration sensors, which each provide a sensor signal and by which an orientation of the head of the user is established. The sensor signals of both acceleration sensors are used in combination for establishing the orientation, and an operating parameter of the hearing device is set depending on the orientation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for user adjustments to a tinnitus therapy generator within a hearing assistance device. One aspect of the present subject matter relates to a method of providing therapy for tinnitus to a patient. A user interface is provided for patient input to adjust settings of a tinnitus therapy generator. Sound is transmitted from the tinnitus therapy generator to the patient via a hearing assistance device receiver to provide therapy for tinnitus. In various embodiments, settings adjustable by the patient include output levels and frequency response. Other aspects are provided without departing from the scope of the present subject matter.

Abstract: An apparatus for audio beamforming is composed of a wearable device (100). Wearable device (100) includes a central processing unit (102), motion sensors (116) and microphones (118). Multiple microphones (118) of wearable device (100) are used to create a microphone array that can be beamformed towards the speaker's voice. A method for adjusting beamforming is also provided.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an inlet member for a microphone system in a hearing instrument, such as a hearing aid, wherein the inlet member has a main body portion having a first portion and a second portion, the second portion being provided with a first recess for accommodating a microphone comprising a snout for conducting sound energy into the interior of the microphone, wherein the first recess is provided with a sound channel formed for engagement with the snout of the microphone, where the sound channel at the end hereof facing away from the microphone is acoustically coupled to a third recess in the first portion, the third recess being defined by wall portions that provide a seal to corresponding inner surface portions of a hearing instrument, in which the inlet member is mounted.

Abstract: A hearing assistance system provides a hearing-aid wearer with one or more hearing aids and a portable device allowing for a wearer-driven directionality customization of the one or more hearing aids. The wearer indicates the locations of sound(s) of interest and/or noise source(s) using the portable device. The one or more hearing aids adjust the directionality of sound reception based on these wearer-indicated locations.

Abstract: The use of a dynamic Relative Transfer Function (RTF) between two or more microphones may be used to improve multi-microphone speech processing applications. The dynamic RTF may improve speech intelligibility and speech quality in the presence of environmental changes, such as variations in head or body movements, variations in hearing device characteristics or wearing positions, or variations in room or environment acoustics. The use of an efficient and fast dynamic RTF estimation algorithm using short burst of noisy, reverberant mic recordings, which will be robust to head movements may provide more accurate RTFs which may lead to a significant performance increase.

Abstract: A method for maintaining battery balancing of a hearing aid in an electronic device is provided. The method includes establishing a connection with a first hearing aid, determining whether the connection with the first hearing aid is maintained for more than a specific period, and if the connection with the first hearing aid is maintained for more than the specific period, establishing a connection with a second hearing aid.

Abstract: A pair of earphones have microphone arrays each providing a plurality of microphone signals. A processor receives the microphone signals and applies a first set of filters to a subset of the plurality of microphone signals from each of the arrays, the first set of filters inverting the signals below a cutoff frequency, and provides the first-filtered signals and the remainder of the microphone signals from each of the arrays to a second set of filters. The processor uses the second set of filters to combine the signals to generate a far-field signal that is more sensitive to sounds originating a short distance away from the earphones than to sounds close to the earphones above the cutoff frequency, and omnidirectional below the cutoff frequency, determines a level of wind noise present in the microphone signals, and adjusts the cutoff frequency as a function of the determined level of wind noise.

Abstract: A hearing aid comprises a microphone on a proximal side of a device housing and a loudspeaker which via a transmission channel is in open communication with a sound-emitting opening of the device. A sound processing device serves to generate sound received by the microphone to the loudspeaker in amplified form. The device housing is provided on a distal side with an optionally sealed battery chamber for receiving a battery therein. The transmission channel is at least almost wholly separated from the microphone acoustically in order to prevent acoustic feedback. The battery chamber comprises ventilation means for the purpose of increasing the lifespan of the battery.

Abstract: The present invention includes methods, circuits, devices, systems and associated computer executable code for acquiring, processing and rendering acoustic signals. According to some embodiments, one or more direction specific audio signals may be generated using a microphone array comprising two or more microphones and an audio stream generator. The audio stream generator may receive a direction parameter from an optical tracking system. There may be provided an audio rendering system adapted to normalize and/or balance acoustic signals acquired from a soundscape.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus having a directional microphone system having adaptable directionality and a remote object detection unit configured to detect a remote object by detecting a transmitted signal reflected from the object, the directionality of the directional microphone system may be modified or adapted based on the detection of the remote object.

Abstract: The application relates to a hearing device comprising an input unit for providing first and second electric input signals representing sound signals, a beamformer filter for making frequency-dependent directional filtering of the electric input signals, the output of said beamformer filter providing a resulting beamformed output signal. The application further relates to a method of providing a directional signal. The object of the present application is to create a directional signal. The problem is solved in that the beamformer filter comprises a directional unit for providing respective first and second beamformed signals from weighted combinations of the electric input signals, an equalization unit for equalizing a phase (and possibly an amplitude) of the beamformed signals and providing first and second equalized beamformed signals, and a beamformer output unit for providing the resulting beamformed output signal from the first and second equalized beamformed signals.

Abstract: An exemplary method for fitting a hearing device to a hearing device user performed by a fitting system operatively connected to but remote from the hearing device includes providing, to the hearing device, an adjustable parameter identified by a fitter using a fitting system and a specification comprising an allowed range for the adjustable parameter defined by the fitter using the fitting system. The method further includes transferring the adjustable parameter and the specification to a user interface operatively connected to the hearing device and located with the hearing device for use by the hearing device user, receiving an adjusted parameter value for the adjustable parameter adjusted by the hearing device user with aid of the user interface to be within the allowed range, and updating the adjustable parameter in a transfer function of the hearing device based on the adjusted parameter value.

Abstract: Described herein is a technique by which a hearing may automatically switch between a directional microphone mode and an omnidirectional microphone mode base upon an estimate of the noise floor as derived from the input signal. A minimum statistics estimator may be used to estimate the noise floor.

Abstract: A binaural hearing aid includes: at least one signal processor; a first microphone system for provision of a first input signal; and a second microphone system for 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, and the second microphone system is adapted to be placed in or at a second ear of the user. The signal processor is configured for: obtaining modulations of the first input signal and the second input signal with at least the first microphone system being in an omni directional microphone mode; evaluating the modulations of the first input signal and the second input signal; and setting one or both of the first microphone system and the second microphone system based on a result from the act of evaluating.

Abstract: The present disclosure regards a binaural hearing system configured to receive sound signals from the environment having two hearing instruments to be worn on respective sides of the head of a user and to generate a binaural signal using the received sound signals of both hearing instruments.

Abstract: A bionic hearing headset for enhancing directional sound from an external audio source. The headset includes a pair of headphones, each having a microphone array that connects listeners to the environment through a plurality of microphones, even while listening to content presented over the headphones from an electronic audio source. The microphone array signals are first converted into beam-formed directional signals. Diffuse signal components may be suppressed using a common, noise-reduction mask. The audio signals may then be converted to binaural format using a plurality of head-related transfer function (HRTF) pairs.

Abstract: A new hearing aid system is provided that includes geographical position and user feedback in determining the category of the sound environment for automatic adjustment of signal processing parameters.

Abstract: The application relates to a hearing system comprising a hearing device (HD), and a programming device (PD), and a feedback path analyzer (FPA) for providing an estimate of a feedback path from an output transducer to an input transducer of the hearing device. The hearing device (HD) and the programming device (PD) each comprises a programming interface (PI, PD-PI) allowing the exchange of data between the devices. The feedback path analyzer (FPA) is located in the programming device (PD), and the hearing device (HD) comprises respective input (IBUF) and output (OBUF) buffers for storing corresponding input and output time segments of the electric input signal or a signal derived therefrom and of the processed output signal or a signal derived therefrom, respectively.

Abstract: A method including producing a first audio output from a first device; and producing an electromagnetic field from a coil of the first device. The electromagnetic field includes information for at least partially producing a second audio output from a second device. The information is configured to provide a relationship between the first and second audio outputs such that when the first audio output is a first acoustic sound, for the first acoustic sound to be configured to acoustically couple with second acoustic sound from the second device which based upon the second audio output, or when the first audio output is not acoustic sound, for the first audio output to be output from the first device for a headset of at least one first user.

Abstract: In one implementation, the output of a microphone is modified based on movement. A circuit or other controller is in communication with a microphone that generates an electrical signal based on sounds waves and a motion sensor. The motion sensor may be coupled to the microphone, coupled to a device including the microphone, or coupled to an object in the vicinity of the microphone. The controller is configured to receive the electrical signal from the microphone and motion data from the motion sensor. The controller is configured to perform a comparison of the motion data to a threshold level and adjust the electrical signal in response to the comparison of the motion data to a threshold acceleration level.

Abstract: A hearing device and an associated method for tuning a hearing aid include at least one hearing aid and at least one external unit. The device includes the following: a memory unit in the hearing aid which stores the times and the listening situations for which at least one predefinable algorithm for signal processing is activated; an output unit in the hearing aid and/or in the external unit which outputs and/or displays the stored times, listening situations and the activated algorithm; an input unit in the hearing aid or in the external unit for inputting an assessment rating which expresses the hearing aid wearer's satisfaction with the algorithm activated, and a change unit in the hearing aid for changing at least one parameter of the algorithm as a function of the assessment rating. Even algorithms of very short duration, such as an MPO, for example, are trainable.

Abstract: The invention relates to a portable electronic device, comprising: at least two directional microphones for stereo sound pickup, each one of the two directional microphones defining a direct sound direction and an opposite sound direction towards which the directional microphones are directed; and a housing comprising for each of the directional microphones a first hole and a second hole, the first hole being located at a different side of the portable electronic device than the second hole.

Abstract: An external microphone array is configured to be used with a hearing aid and comprises a number of microphones configured to detect one or more sound signals from a sound source and means for wirelessly sending the detected sound signal to at least one hearing aid. The external microphone array comprises means for automatically determining the direction of the sound source either by: a) receiving a wireless signal transmitted from a remote control; b) by receiving acoustic signals picked up by the hearing aid(s) and by further comparing the signals with signals received by the external microphone array. The external microphone array may e.g. take the form of a sphere, a hemi-sphere or a neckband.