Testing Of Hearing Aids Patents (Class 381/60)
  • Patent number: 8494173
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes at least one output cell including a first output cell having a ground pin connected to a ground rail, a first power supply pin connected to a first power rail, a second power supply pin connected to a second power rail, a data pin, at least one voltage select pin, and an output pin wired to the first output pad. The first output cell is configured to operate according to a first mode wherein the output pin has a first voltage amplitude, and according to a second mode wherein the output pin has a second voltage amplitude larger than the first voltage amplitude depending on a control signal applied to the at least one voltage select pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: GN ReSound A/S
    Inventors: Dan Christian Raun Jensen, Palle Hegne Pedersen
  • Patent number: 8494199
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes an input transducer for provision of an input signal, a high pass filter configured for providing a high pass filtered part of the input signal, a low pass filter configured for providing a low pass filtered part of the input signal, a synthesizing unit configured for generating a synthetic signal from the high pass filtered part using a model based on a periodic function, wherein a phase of the synthetic signal is at least in part randomized, a combiner configured for combining the low pass filtered part with the synthetic signal for provision of a combined signal, a hearing loss processor configured for processing the combined signal for provision of a processed signal, and a receiver coupled to the hearing loss processor, wherein the receiver is configured for converting an audio output signal into an output sound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: GN ReSound A/S
    Inventor: James Mitchell Kates
  • Publication number: 20130182860
    Abstract: An exemplary uncomfortable sound pressure determination system including: a sound data generator configured to generate sound data concerning sounds consecutively ascending or descending in sound pressure from first to nth sounds, the sounds being pure tones of a same frequency; an output section configured to present the sounds to a user; a characteristic amount extractor configured to extract, based on an event-related potential of the electroencephalogram signal measured after lapse of a predetermined time from a point in time of presenting each of the sounds, a characteristic amount concerning temporal change in frequency of the event-related potential; and an uncomfortable sound pressure determination section configured to determine, by referring to a previously-provided relationship by which temporal changes in frequency of event-related potentials and uncomfortable sound pressures are associated, a sound pressure corresponding to the extracted characteristic amount to be an uncomfortable sound pressure
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: PANASONIC CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130182855
    Abstract: Multimedia playing apparatuses and methods of measuring hearing characteristics of a user and outputting a sound modulated according to the hearing characteristics of the user are provided. A multimedia playing apparatus includes a sound output unit configured to output a sound comprising of one or more phonemes, and a user interface configured to receive a user response to the phonemes. The multimedia playing apparatus further includes a processor configured to acquire hearing characteristics of a user based on the user response, and determine an output level and/or an output time of the sound for each of frequency bands based on the hearing characteristics of the user. The sound output unit is further configured to output the sound according to the output level and/or the output time of the sound for each of the frequency bands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130170660
    Abstract: A method detects whether an ear mould of a listening device is correctly mounted in the ear of a user. An indication of whether or not a mould of a listening device is correctly mounted in an ear canal of a user is provided. The method comprises a) providing a long term estimate of the feedback path; b) providing an estimate of the current feedback path; c) comparing the long term feedback path estimate with the current feedback path estimate, and providing a measure of their difference, termed the feedback difference measure FBDM; and optionally d) providing an alarm indication, if the feedback difference measure exceeds a predefined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: OTICON A/S
    Inventor: OTICON A/S
  • Publication number: 20130170661
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a hearing device (1) to individual needs of a hearing device user is disclosed. The hearing device (1) comprises an input transducer (2), a signal processing unit (3) and an output transducer (4), the signal processing unit (3) being operatively connected to the input transducer (2) as well as to the output transducer (4), and the signal processing unit (3) defining an input/output behavior of the hearing device (1). The method comprising the steps of operationally connecting the hearing device (1) to a fitting device (5) comprising a display unit (6), displaying a hearing threshold level (22) of the hearing device user as a function of frequencies on the display unit (6), displaying characteristics of a predefined sound sample (25, 30) on the display unit (6), and adjusting the input/output behavior such that at least a part of the predefined sound sample (25, 30) lies above the hearing threshold level (22) at corresponding frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Ullrich Sigwanz, Patrick Baechler, Philipp Schneider, Nicola Schmitt
  • Patent number: 8472634
    Abstract: A hearing aid which is operable in an audiometric testing mode includes an audio output section, a volume control, a switching device, and a processor. The audio output section sequentially generates a number of testing sounds at a corresponding number of testing frequencies and provides each testing sound to the person who will be using the hearing aid. The volume control is used to adjust the amplitude of each testing sound to a level of audibility just above the person's threshold of hearing at the corresponding testing frequency. When the appropriate threshold volume level is set, the switching device is operated to generate a control signal. Based on operation of the volume control and the switching device for each of the testing sounds at each of the testing frequencies, the processor sets a plurality of threshold hearing levels associated with the corresponding testing frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Inventors: Daniel R. Schumaier, David M. Campbell, II, Stephen W. Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20130156208
    Abstract: The present invention provides a hearing aid capable of detecting contact vibration noise from a collected sound signal. A hearing aid (100) is provided with two microphones (110-1, 110-2), a vibration component extracting unit (120) which extracts from collected sound signals respectively obtained by the two microphones (110-1, 110-2) an uncorrelated component between two collected sound signals as a vibration component for each frequency band, a vibration noise identifying unit (130) which determines whether or not a contact noise occurs based on the vibration component for each frequency band extracted by the vibration component extracting unit (120), an acoustic signal processing unit (140) which, when generating an acoustic signal by hearing aid processing of the two collected sound signals, processes the acoustic signal depending on the presence or absence of the occurrence of the contact vibration noise, and a receiver (150) which converts the acoustic signal to sound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Inventors: Yutaka Banba, Takeo Kanamori
  • Patent number: 8467553
    Abstract: A hearing aid system may include a behind-the-ear (BTE) part configured to be located at an ear of a user, an in-the-ear (ITE) part configured to be located in an ear canal of a user, and a measurement circuit. The ITE part may include a receiver for converting an electric output signal having frequencies in the human audible frequency range to an output sound, and a resistive identification element. The measurement circuit is configured to measure an identification parameter indicative of the resistance of the resistive identification element, thus identifying the ITE part. The measurement circuit uses the same electric output signal that is driving the receiver to determine the identification parameter. Advantageously, this approach does not require an additional signal, such as DC voltage, to determine the identification parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Bernafon AG
    Inventor: Matthias Schefer
  • Patent number: 8467537
    Abstract: The invention includes an apparatus for connecting a hearing aid tester to a sound emitting portion of a hearing aid that fits into the concha or ear canal of a user, the apparatus including a body having a front end and a rear end, a passage within the body for receiving the sound emitting portion and extending from an opening near the front end to an opening near the rear end, the opening near the front end for connecting the passage to the hearing aid tester, and a resilient surface within the passage that resiliently deforms when the sound emitting portion is received in the passage for retaining the sound emitting portion in the passage. The invention also includes a method of forming the apparatus and a method of testing a hearing aid having a sound emitting portion that fits into the concha or ear canal of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Audiology Innovations Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Douglas Lloyd, Matthew Callaway
  • Patent number: 8462957
    Abstract: A hearing aid (101) comprises a microphone (121) converting sound into an electrical signal, a processor (105) disposed inside a main body case (102), a first volume adjuster (104) having a variable resistor, and a receiver (123) converting an electrical signal into sound. The processor (105) has an amplifier (135) amplifying an electrical signal from the microphone (121), a second volume adjuster (105b) setting a degree of amplification by the amplifier (135), and a controller (130) controlling the second volume adjuster (105b) and the amplifier (135). The controller (130) detects the resistance value of the variable resistor, determines whether or not the resistance value has exceeded a specific threshold, acquires a specific value for the degree of amplification by the amplifier (135), and sets the degree of amplification by the amplifier (135) to this specific value when the controller determines that the resistance value has exceeded the specific threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shigekiyo Fujii, Hiroshi Kondo, Yasushi Ueda, Yasushi Imamura, Kazutaka Maruoka
  • Publication number: 20130136268
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be used to modify a controllable stimulus generated by a digital audio device in communication with a human user. An input signal is provided to the digital audio device. In turn, the digital audio device sends a stimulus based on that input signal to the human user, who takes an action, usually in the form of an output signal, to characterize the stimulus that the user receives, based on the user's perception. An algorithm then determines a difference between the input signal and the output signal, and a perceptual model is constructed based at least in part on the difference. Thereafter, a new value for the parameter of the digital audio device is suggested based at least in part on the perceptual model. This process continues iteratively until the algorithm finds the user's optimal device parameters. While this process is highly complex and time consuming, the algorithm successfully reaches at least a near optimal settings, if not the optimal, in a short time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: COCHLEAR LIMITED
    Inventor: COCHLEAR LIMITED
  • Patent number: 8452021
    Abstract: An embodiment of a hearing assistance apparatus for performing a Real Ear Measurement (REM), comprises a hearing assistance device housing, a microphone within the housing, an earhook connected to the housing, and a flexible tube. The house has a first opening for guiding sound into the housing to the microphone. The housing and the connected earhook form an interface, where the earhook has a shape to provide a slot near the interface of the housing and the earhook. The tube guides sound, and has a first end and a second end. The first end of the flexible tube and the slot of the earhook cooperate to retain the first end of the flexible tube in the slot of the earhook and flush with the housing to provide a sound-tight connection with the first opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry Yanz, Sidney A. Higgins, Robert P. Jacoby, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 8447042
    Abstract: According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a system for audiometric assessment and user-specific acoustic enhancement, comprising an audiometry management module, a tone generator coupled to the audiometry management module and adapted to generate streams of acoustical output, and a hearing profile data file, is disclosed. According to the embodiment, the audiometry management module, in a plurality of sessions, instructs the tone generator to send a series of streams of acoustical output of varying acoustical intensity, and, on receiving a series of user responses responsive to audible perception of sounds generated from the streams of acoustical data, the audiometric management module determines, for each of a plurality of frequencies, a hearing threshold, and stores at least that threshold in the hearing profile data file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Inventor: Nicholas Hall Gurin
  • Publication number: 20130121496
    Abstract: A method for adapting a hearing device (6, 7) to the hearing needs and preferences of an individual (U) is presented, wherein sound processing in said hearing device (6, 7) is programmable by means of adjustable parameters. The method comprises the steps of a) presenting at least one auditory test signal (1a) to said individual (U); b) capturing at least one image (2a) of at least a portion of said individual's body; c) analyzing said at least one image (2a); d) deducing from said image analysis whether or not said individual (U) has shown a reaction upon said presenting said at least one auditory test signal (1a) and, if yes, which reaction said individual (U) has shown; e) determining, in dependence of said at least one auditory test signal (1a) and of said reaction or lack of reaction, a setting for at least one of said adjustable parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: PHONAK AG
    Inventor: Michael Boretzki
  • Patent number: 8442245
    Abstract: A hearing device with a plurality of microphones is intended to be able to be continued to be operated sensibly, even if a microphone fails. Therefore, a hearing device, and in particular a hearing aid, is proposed which provides a decision unit for deciding whether one of the microphones is defective, and a signal processing unit for processing the signals from the microphones using a plurality of processing algorithms. The signal processing unit switches from a first one of the processing algorithms to a second one of the processing algorithms if a decision is made in the decision unit that one of the microphones is defective. In particular, if a microphone fails, automatic switching from directional microphone operation into omnidirectional operation is for example made possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Tobias Wurzbacher, Matthias Fröhlich
  • Patent number: 8437479
    Abstract: A digital headset system for use in audiometric testing. The headset system includes a stored calibration reference relating the exact frequency and volume response of each speaker to analog input signals. A microprocessor accesses the calibration reference to determine the required analog signal needed to produce the desired sound. An on-board digital to analog converter generates the required analog signal and transmits it to the speaker. The headset is used with software based audiometric test methods that allow the generation of an electronic user hearing profile. The user hearing profile may be used to re-program an audio emitting device to function in a customized manner. The user hearing profile may be overlaid on a partner hearing profile in order to emulate for the partner how sounds are perceived by the user. The test methods may be self-administered or administered by a healthcare professional.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Cleartone Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Declan B. Ganter, Fintan J. Graham, Martin C. Ganter
  • Patent number: 8437486
    Abstract: An calibrated hearing-aid tuning appliance includes a hearing-aid interface for programming settings of a hearing aid worn by a user. The appliance also includes a calibrated audio output subsystem including an audio interface, an audio amplifier, and a calibrated speaker. The audio output subsystem can consistently propagate sound waves having frequency response, sound pressure level, and distortion characteristics within predetermined tolerances. A memory stores pre-recorded sound files and programming instructions for heuristically tuning the hearing-aid. When the programming instructions are communicated to a CPU for execution via a CPU interface, the appliance automatically selects at least one of the pre-recorded sound files; automatically reproduces the selected sound files via the calibrated audio output subsystem; collects feedback from the user based on the sound files thereby reproduced; and automatically adjusts one or more of the settings based on the user's feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Inventors: Dan Wiggins, Donald L Bowie
  • Patent number: 8433072
    Abstract: The invention regards a hearing aid comprising a receiver and a signal processing device, wherein the signal processing device is electrically coupled to a connection socket operable to detachably connect the receiver to the socket and whereby the signal processing device further comprise a detector operable to detect a characteristics of the receiver which is connected to the signal processing device through the connection socket. The present invention addresses the problem of identification of individual receiver properties as well as of identifying different types of receivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignees: Oticon A/S, Bernafon AG
    Inventors: Christian Müller, Ivan Jørgensen, Franz Treue, Christian C. Bürger
  • Patent number: 8433071
    Abstract: In-situ measurement comprises two consecutive measurements (open ear gain and in-situ gain), from which a result is formed by forming a difference. For the two measurements, it is important that the in-situ tube is positioned in the same place in the auditory canal. Otherwise there are different level and phase ratios, such that the result obtained from the formation of a difference is not meaningful. Thus, the in-situ tube is permanently connected to the ear plug, as a result of which the positioning of the in-situ tube remains the same for both measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias Latzel
  • Publication number: 20130101123
    Abstract: The fitting of a hearing device and in particular of a hearing aid using frequency compression is to be simplified. A method for determining a knee point of a frequency compression characteristic for a hearing device is therefore proposed wherein a maximum audible frequency of a hearing device user is first determined and the knee point is then determined using a predefined rule in dependence on a maximum audible frequency. An end point of a compression characteristic can also be automatically determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130101128
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes at least one electrode located at a surface of a housing of the hearing aid to allow the electrodes to contact the skin of a user during use of the hearing aid, at least one electrode being adapted to pick up a low voltage signal from the user's brain, an amplifier unit operationally connected to the electrode(s) and adapted for amplifying the low voltage signal(s) to provide amplified brain signal(s), and a signal processing unit adapted to process the amplified brain signal(s) to provide a processed brain signal as well as to apply a time and frequency dependent gain to an input audio signal and to provide a processed audio output signal. Also a method of operating a hearing aid and a hearing aid system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: Oticon A/S
    Inventor: Oticon A/S
  • Patent number: 8406440
    Abstract: A hearing aid is provided which has at least one input transducer for providing an input signal, at least one signal processing channel receiving at least a portion of said input signal, a hearing aid processor for processing said portion of said input signal to produce at least one output signal, an output transducer responsive to said output signal, and a data logger receiving said portion of said input signal for logging of input signal data. The data logger comprises a characterization unit for characterising and logging parameters of the input signal data, and a memory unit for storing said parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Widex A/S
    Inventor: Preben Kidmose
  • Patent number: 8401199
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be used to modify a controllable stimulus generated by a digital audio device in communication with a human user. An input signal is provided to the digital audio device. In turn, the digital audio device sends a stimulus based on that input signal to the human user, who takes an action, usually in the form of an output signal, to characterize the stimulus that the user receives, based on the user's perception. An algorithm then determines a difference between the input signal and the output signal, and a perceptual model is constructed based at least in part on the difference. Thereafter, a new value for the parameter of the digital audio device is suggested based at least in part on the perceptual model. This process continues iteratively until the algorithm finds the user's optimal device parameters. While this process is highly complex and time consuming, the algorithm successfully reaches at least a near optimal settings, if not the optimal, in a short time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Bonny Banerjee, Lee Krause
  • Patent number: 8391503
    Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring noise exposure associated with use of a wireless headset are presented. In one example, a transition from a wireless headset standby mode operation to a wireless headset active mode operation is identified. A stored noise dose measurement at the wireless headset is recalled, and a current noise dose measurement is calculated at the wireless headset for a duration of the active mode operation. A transition from the wireless headset active mode operation to the wireless headset standby mode operation is identified, and an updated noise dose measurement is recorded at the wireless headset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Antony Bayley, Kwangsee Woo, Steven Wong
  • Publication number: 20130051573
    Abstract: This method for fitting a hearing aid involves displaying the coordinate positions of parameters produced on the basis of a plurality of fitting theories, and the evaluation results for these parameters, on a display section 5, and using those parameters with good evaluation results to set a fine adjustment recommended area 12A in the coordinate positions of the display section 5. Manipulated marks 13 are displayed at the coordinate positions that have been manipulated within the fine adjustment recommended area 12A, selection candidate displays 14 are put at the coordinate positions where favorable evaluations were obtained, out of the coordinate positions where the manipulated marks 13 have been displayed, and the selected coordinate position parameters out of the coordinate positions where the selection candidate displays 14 have been displayed are registered as fitting parameters in a hearing aid 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Inventors: Makoto NISHIZAKI, Eiji NOGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8385572
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Dreβler, Eghart Fischer, Ulrich Kornagel, Wolfgang Sörgel
  • Publication number: 20130044889
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a listening device for a hearing impaired person. The present invention furthermore relates to a corresponding operating method of operating a listening device and to a corresponding computer program. In particular, the present invention relates to a listening device that comprises a signal processing unit that is controlled by a controller configured to implement a combined feed-forward and feed-back control in order to ensure that both an electric input signal and a processed electric output signal have at least almost identical modulation index values. Thereby, speech intelligibility is increased, in particular for a hearing impaired person being capable of perceiving sound pressure levels in a substantially decreased dynamic range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: OTICON A/S
    Inventor: Niels Hellevad JENSEN
  • Patent number: 8379871
    Abstract: A personalized hearing profile is generated for an ear-level device comprising a memory, microphone, speaker and processor. Communication is established between the ear-level device and a companion device, having a user interface. A frame of reference in the user interface is provided, where positions in the frame of reference are associated with sound profile data. A position on the frame of reference is determined in response to user interaction with the user interface, and certain sound profile data associated with the position. Certain data is transmitted to the ear level device. Sound can be generated through the speaker based upon the audio stream data to provide real-time feedback to the user. The determining and transmitting steps are repeated until detection of an end event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Sound ID
    Inventors: Nicholas R. Michael, Ephram Cohen, Meena Ramani, Caslav V. Pavlovic
  • Patent number: 8374877
    Abstract: A hearing aid for improving diminished hearing caused by reduced temporal resolution includes: a speech input unit which receives a speech signal from outside; a speech analysis unit which detects a sound segment and a segment acoustically regarded as soundless from the speech signal received by the speech input unit and detects a consonant segment and a vowel segment within the detected sound segment; and a signal processing unit which temporally increments the consonant segment detected by the speech analysis unit and temporally decrements at least one of the vowel segment and the segment acoustically regarded as soundless detected by the speech analysis unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazue Fusakawa, Gempo Ito
  • Patent number: 8374370
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a hearing assistance device housing for use in real ear measurements. The methods and apparatus for configuration of a hearing assistance device using an apparatus including an opening to receive a sound tube for real ear measurements and providing an opening for connection of a sound hook to a housing of the hearing assistance device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Tao Zhang, Brian Fideler
  • Patent number: 8366632
    Abstract: Method and system are disclosed for automated testing of a patient's hearing. The automated hearing test allows the patient to quickly and accurately test his own hearing. The patient is instructed and prompted for inputs and responses as needed. The patient and/or operator can select one or several tests to be performed, including air and bone conduction testing with masking, speech reception threshold, speech discrimination, tympanogram, acoustic reflex, and otoacoustic emissions testing. Stenger screening is automatically performed for some patients based on the difference in pure tone frequency air conduction thresholds. Multiple languages are supported. Data obtained from one test may be used for another test or another iteration of the same test to calculate masking levels. The automatic hearing test also detects and compensates for ambient noise in the test results. If a contingency occurs, the automated hearing test is configured to page the operator for assistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Tympany, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron R. Thornton, Jeffrey S. Harrison, Christopher L. Wasden, Barry Strasnick
  • Patent number: 8363876
    Abstract: A method includes adhering an audiometric device to a surface of an ear or to an ear canal, the audiometric device including an adhesive contacting the surface of the ear or the ear canal; and conducting an audiometric procedure with the audiometric device adhered to the surface of the ear or the ear canal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Mednax Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Miskiel, Rafael E. Delgado, Juan Carlos Bordo, Beverly Gail Lim
  • Patent number: 8363868
    Abstract: A hearing aid (100) fits in an ear of a user and amplifies a sound and outputs the amplified sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazue Fusakawa, Megumi Yokokura, Yoshiaki Takagi
  • Patent number: 8358794
    Abstract: The data records to be stored in the two hearing devices of a binaural hearing system during the adjustment are generally different. With “side definition”, the correct assignment of the two hearing devices to the ears or of the wearer is ensured. To this end, an acoustic signal is transmitted to the wearer by way of the receiver of at least one of these hearing devices. The wearer informs the adjusting facility by way of an input device connected hereto, as to the ear with which the wearer heard this acoustic signal or which spatial characteristic or asymmetry is attributed to this acoustic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Herve Schulz
  • Patent number: 8351626
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Adam Hersbach, Hugh McDermott, Andrea Simpson
  • Patent number: 8351613
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for determination of gain margin of a hearing assistance device under test. In varying examples, the impulse response for multiple levels can be taken and used to arrive at a gain margin. The method and apparatus, in various examples, process critical portions of the resulting data for efficient processing and to increase accuracy of measurements. The method and apparatus performing a plurality of measurements to determine impulse responses and to derive gain margin as a function of frequency therefrom. The present subject matter includes principles which may are adapted for use within a hearing assistance device using a single white noise stimulus, according to one example. The principles set forth herein can be applied to occluding and non-occluding hearing device embodiments. Additional method and apparatus can be found in the specification and as provided by the attached claims and their equivalents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Ivo Leon Diane Marie Merks
  • Patent number: 8345902
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes a microphone for converting sound into an audio input signal, a hearing loss processor configured for processing the audio input signal or a signal derived from the audio input signal in accordance with a hearing loss of a user of the hearing aid, a synthesizer configured for generation of a synthesized signal based at least on a sound model and the audio input signal, the synthesizer comprising a noise generator configured for excitation of the sound model for generation of the synthesized signal including synthesized vowels, and a receiver for generating an output sound signal based at least on the synthesized signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: GN ReSound A/S
    Inventors: Guilin Ma, Karl-Fredrik Johan Gran
  • Patent number: 8336670
    Abstract: The invention provides a microelectromechanical system testing device, comprising an acoustic chamber having two opposing walls; a sound source for generating sound within the acoustic chamber at a first frequency in the range of 20 Hz to 10 kHz, the sound source being arranged at one of the opposing walls; and an interface for coupling one or more microelectromechanical systems thereto, the interface being arranged at the other of the two opposing walls and comprising a respective coupling site for each microelectromechanical system; wherein the acoustic chamber is adapted to have a total harmonic distortion (THD) at each coupling site of the interface for the first frequency below 1%, preferably below 0.8%, more preferably below 0.6%, most preferably below 0.4% when including all harmonics of the first frequency in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, in particular for the first frequency being 1 kHz or 4 kHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Rasco GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Viehmann, Werner Schütz, Alexander Waldauf
  • Patent number: 8331576
    Abstract: The invention regards a method for programming a hearing aid wherein the hearing aid user is initially tested by subjecting the user to air borne sound and/or to bone transmitted vibrations, and based on the test results a bone conducting hearing threshold of a bone integrated bone conducting hearing aid is calculated, and further a bone conducting hearing aid is chosen and applied to a skin penetrating abutment which is firmly attached to a bone integrated fixture in the skull bone of the hearing aid user. According to the invention the vibrator in the chosen hearing aid is caused to vibrate at different frequencies and vibration levels and feed-back from the hearing aid user is obtained in order to obtain knowledge of the hearing aid users experienced hearing threshold with the attached hearing aid and finally the experienced hearing threshold is used to fine tune this same hearing aid for future wearing by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Oticon Medical A/S
    Inventor: Jens Balslev
  • Publication number: 20120308020
    Abstract: A system for estimating the occlusion effect comprises a hearing aid adapted for being set up for operation in an occlusion measurement mode. The hearing aid comprises a first transducer (9) for transforming an acoustic sound level external to a hearing aid user's ear canal into a first electrical signal. The hearing aid comprises a second transducer (10) for transforming the acoustic sound level in the occluded ear canal into a second electrical signal. The system comprises a filter bank (21, 22) for splitting the first and the second digitized electrical signals into a first and a second band split digitized electrical signal, respectively and the estimated sound pressure must be a factor ?{square root over (r)} larger than the estimated leakage when deciding if the estimated sound pressure in a given band can be applied in the calculation of the occlusion effect. The invention further provides a method for estimating the occlusion effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: WIDEX A/S
    Inventor: Martin RUNG
  • Patent number: 8325931
    Abstract: A detecting circuit measures at least one response characteristic of an output channel in an electro-acoustic transducer system. A memory stores a plurality of equalizations, each equalization corresponding to a known electro-acoustic transducer system associated with at least one response characteristic stored in the memory. A processor in communication with the detecting circuit and the memory selects one of the stored response characteristics matching the response characteristic measured by the detecting circuit. In some cases, an appropriate equalization is loaded based on the selected response characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Damian Howard, Marc L. Mansell, Tobe Barksdale, Hal P. Greenberger, Matthew R. Hicks
  • Publication number: 20120300953
    Abstract: An implantable hearing prosthesis, comprising an integrated integrity system. The integrity system is configured to measure one or more electrical characteristics of at least one component of the prosthesis, to evaluate the integrity of the prosthesis based on the measurements, and to perform at least one diagnostic operation based on the evaluation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Herbert Mauch, Peter Seligman, Barry Nevison, Paul Carter
  • Patent number: 8320573
    Abstract: A hearing device having an input unit for converting an acoustic input to a first signal, an output unit for converting a second signal to an acoustic output and a signal processing unit for generating said second signal from said first signal based on a setting indicating a characteristic of a user's ear, said signal processing unit coupling said input unit and said output unit, to a corresponding method for providing a hearing aid and a corresponding computer program. In order to provide an adaptive hearing device and a method for providing a hearing aid which allow for a compensation for the change in a characteristic of a user's ear, in particular for the change to the ear of a child during growth and which are of a low complexity and do not need additional sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Peter Lundh, Mark Flynn
  • Publication number: 20120294451
    Abstract: The determination system includes a presented-speech sound control section for determining a speech sound to be presented to a user; auditory/visual stimulation presentation sections for presenting the determined speech sound as an audio/a character; a group-wise summation section for taking a summation of an event-related potential of an electroencephalogram signal of the user for each group of speech sounds; a first determination section for, from the event-related potential having been subjected to summation for each group, making a group-by-group determination of comfortableness as to whether the user is comfortably hearing to the speech sound, to at least determine whether the user is listening to the speech sound with strife, or to determine whether the user is annoyed by the speech sound; and a second determination section for, from the event-related potential, making a speech sound-by-speech sound determination of intelligibility as to whether the user is clearly hearing the speech sound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki KOZUKA, Shinobu ADACHI, Koji MORIKAWA
  • Patent number: 8315402
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides method and apparatus for real ear measurement using a hearing assistance device fitted with a cover to provide real ear sounds to a microphone of the device. The present subject matter includes a hearing assistance device cover for use in measuring coupler response and real ear coupler difference for improved real ear measurement and fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Tao Zhang, Thomas Spaulding
  • Publication number: 20120288108
    Abstract: In an exemplary assessment system of speech sound listening, an output section presents a speech sound to a user as an auditory stimulation; a positive component determination section determines whether a positive component appears in an event-related potential of an electroencephalogram signal of the user in a range from 600-900 ms from a starting point, the starting point being a point in time at which the speech sound is presented, and outputs an assessment result as to whether the user is listening to the speech sound with strife or not; and a negative component determination section determines whether a negative component appears in the event-related potential in a range from 100-300 ms from a starting point, the starting point being the point in time at which the speech sound is presented, and outputs an assessment result as to whether the user is annoyed by the speech sound or not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinobu ADACHI, Koji MORIKAWA, Yumiko KATO, Kazuki KOZUKA
  • Patent number: 8311250
    Abstract: It should be possible to quickly and effectively adjust a hearing aid even in the high-frequency range above 8 kHz. For this purpose it is provided that an open-loop gain measurement is carried out in the upper frequency range and a maximum amplification or a frequency-dependent maximum amplification curve is fixed. This maximum amplification in the high-frequency range should not be exceeded. The hearing aid wearer can then optionally select one of a plurality of amplification curves located there below. In the low-frequency range a conventional amplification adjustment is carried out for example by a prescriptive audiogram-based formula. A hybrid adjustment procedure that is easy to carry out is thereby provided for the entire frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Volkmar Hamacher
  • Patent number: 8306250
    Abstract: First, in a state where a pair of earphones 110 are worn in both ears of a listening person, a measurement signal generated by a measurement signal generating section 101 is outputted from the earphone 110. The signal (wearing-state signal) which is reflected by an eardrum and returns to the earphone 110 is measured, and stored in an analysis section 108. Next, in a state where the pair of earphones 110 are not worn in both ears of the listening person, a signal measured (unwearing-state signal) in the same manner as described above is stored in the analysis section 108. The analysis section 108 calculates an ear-canal correction filter based on a difference between the wearing-state signal and the unwearing-state signal. An ear-canal correction filter processing section 109 convolves a sound source signal with the calculated ear-canal correction filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhito Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8298155
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pure tone audiometer, and more particularly, to a pure tone audiometer with automated masking which is capable of automatically performing air-conduction and bone-conduction hearing tests and automatically performing a masking test, if necessary, so that a person obtains an accurate pure tone hearing threshold without others' assistance. The pure tone audiometer of the present invention can accurately perform the pure tone hearing test with automated masking without assistance from a doctor or an audiologist. Thus, with the pure tone audiometer, people can easily check their hearing ability for prevention and early detection of hearing loss and take swift action to cure hearing loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: UMedical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Hoon Lee, Jin Dong Kim, Yun Sung Ro, Jung Hwan Ok, Kyu Won Lee