Search Patents
  • Method of diminishing the minimum range of operation of a communication link
    Patent number: 8923789
    Abstract: A portable electronic device comprises a wireless receiver unit for receiving a wireless signal from a transmitting device, the wireless receiver unit comprising an antenna receiving an electromagnetic signal and providing a received electric input signal, and a receiver providing a recovered electric signal from the received electric input signal, and an impedance matching circuit matching the electric impedance of the antenna to the receiver, the receiver comprising a gain stage comprising an Automatic Gain Control unit automatically determining an AGC-gain value for application to an AGC-input signal to provide an appropriate signal level when the level of said AGC input signal is in a range between a minimum and a maximum signal level corresponding to maximum and minimum AGC-gain values, respectively. The portable device further comprises a control unit receiving the AGC-gain value and providing a control signal depending on said AGC-gain value to the impedance matching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventor: Henrik Bendsen
  • Hearing device comprising an acoustic event detector
    Patent number: 10856087
    Abstract: A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, comprises an input unit; an output unit; an adaptive beamformer filtering unit configured to provide a spatially filtered signal based on a multitude of electric input signals from the input unit and an adaptively updated adaptation factor ?; a memory, wherein A) a reference value REF, equal to or dependent on a value, ?ov, of said adaptation factor ? determined when a voice of the user is present, or B) a set of parameters for classification based on logistic regression or a neural network, is stored; and an own voice detector configured to provide an estimate of whether or not, or with what probability, a given input sound originates from the voice of the user, and wherein said estimate is dependent on a) a current value of said adaptation factor ? and said reference value REF, or on b) said set of parameters for classification based on logistic regression or a neural network, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Michael Syskind Pedersen, Angela Josupeit, Sigurdur Sigurdsson, Anders Vinther Olsen, Nels Hede Rohde
  • Generation of probe noise in a feedback cancellation system
    Patent number: 8538052
    Abstract: The invention regards a scheme for generating a probe noise signal to be used in an anti feedback system of an audio system. The audio system comprises e.g. a microphone for capturing an audio signal, an audio signal processor for adaptation of the audio signal and a receiver for generation of an audible signal. According to an embodiment of the invention, a noise signal is injected into the audio signal path between the microphone and the receiver and used for estimating acoustical feedback, the noise signal being generated by the following steps: converting a digitized audio signal to the frequency domain, in order to obtain a series of magnitude and phase values, changing the phase values such that the phase of the resulting signal becomes less correlated, preferably substantially un-correlated, to the original signal, converting the magnitude and phase back to a time domain signal using the changed phase values. The invention may e.g. be used in a hearing aid, a headset or a pair of headphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Thomas Bo Elmedyb, Johan Hellgren
  • Feedback cancellation with low frequency input
    Patent number: 7340063
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for canceling feedback in an acoustic system comprising a microphone, a signal path, a speaker and means for detecting presence of feedback between the speaker and the microphone, the method comprising providing a LMS algorithm for processing the signal; where the LMS algorithm operates with a predetermined adaptation speed when feedback is not present; where the LMS algorithm operates an adaptation speed faster than the predetermined adaptation speed when feedback is present, and where the means for detecting the presence of feedback is used to control the adaptation speed selection of the LMS algorithm. The invention further relates to a method comprising using a highpass filter to prevent low-frequency signals from entering the LMS algorithm. The invention still further relates to a method comprising using bandwidth detection means for determining the presence of a feedback signal. The invention also relates to hearing aids for implementing these methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Jakob Nielsen, Michael Ekelid
  • HEARING AID COMPRISING A DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONE SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20190222942
    Abstract: A hearing aid comprises a BTE-part adapted for being located behind an ear (ear) of a user, and comprising a) a multitude M of microphones, which—when located behind the ear of the user—are characterized by respective transfer functions, HBTEi(?, ?, r, k), representative of propagation of sound from sound sources S to the respective microphones b) a memory unit comprising complex, frequency dependent constants Wi(k)?, i?1, . . . , M, c) a beamformer filtering unit for providing a beamformed signal Y as a weighted combination of the microphone signals using said complex, frequency dependent constants The frequency dependent constants are determined to provide a resulting transfer function Hpinna(?, ?, r, k)=?i=1MWi(k)·HBTEi(?, ?, r, k), so that a difference between the resulting transfer function Hpinna(?, ?, r, k) and a transfer function HITE(?, ?, r, k) of a microphone located close to or in the ear canal fulfils a predefined criterion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Michael Syskind Pedersen, Andreas Thelander Bertelsen
  • Hearing system comprising a separate microphone unit for picking up a users own voice
    Patent number: 9860656
    Abstract: A hearing system for communication with a mobile telephone comprises a hearing device and a separate microphone unit adapted for picking up a voice of a user. The microphone unit comprises a) a multitude M?2 of input units for picking up or receiving a signal representative of a sound from the environment; b) an adaptive multi-input unit noise reduction system for providing an estimate ? of a target signal s comprising the user's voice, the multi-input unit noise reduction system comprises a multi-input beamformer filtering unit configured to determine filter weights w(k,m) for providing a beamformed signal, wherein signal components from other directions than a direction of a target signal source are attenuated, whereas signal components from the direction of the target signal source are left un-attenuated; and c) antenna and transceiver circuitry for transmitting said estimate ? of the user's voice to another device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Jesper Jensen, Michael Syskind Pedersen
  • ECAP recording method and cochlea implant system
    Patent number: 11395913
    Abstract: A method and a system for measuring a main electrically evoked compound action potential is described. The system may comprise a cochlea implant system which includes an electrode array, and where the electrode array includes at least a stimulator electrode, a first recording electrode and a second recording electrode, and where the first recording electrode is arranged closer to the stimulator electrode than the second recording electrode, a processor electrically in communication with the cochlea implant system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Oticon Medical A/S
    Inventors: Behnam Molaee, Manuel Segovia Martinez
  • HEARING AID FOR PLACEMENT AT AN EAR OF A USER
    Publication number: 20180332412
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a hearing aid for placement on head of a user comprising a first second part. The first part may comprise an acoustic input transducer adapted to convert ambient sound picked up at the ear of the user to an electric signal, a signal processor adapted to process the electric signal according to specifications of user into a processed electric signal, and an output transducer adapted to covert the processed electric signal into a transmission signal, The second part may comprise an anchor adapted to fixate said second part under the skin to skull bone of the user, and a receiver adapted to receive the transmission signal and convert the transmission signal to an output signal perceivable as sound by the user. The first part may comprise an inner recess adapted to receive an insert element, where the insert element may comprise a first magnet adapted to in cooperation with the second part to cause the first part to attach to the head of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Applicant: Oticon Medical A/S
    Inventors: Emilie Munk HAAGERUP, Peder Hesselbjerg PEDERSEN, Mads Buur MORTENSEN, Johan ROSENGREN
  • In-the-ear hearing aid with the outer wall formed by rupturing a two-component chamber
    Patent number: 4712245
    Abstract: A hearing aid device for processing sound, which comprises a device for transducing sound to an electrical signal, a device for processing the electrical signal, a device for powering and regulating the processing device, and a device for transducing the processed electrical signal into sound, all these devices being enclosed in a case adapted for being inserted in an ear canal, an elastic layer defining a chamber on the outside of the case, the chamber containing a cold-curing composition consisting of at least two components, at least one partitioning wall within the chamber for separating the components from one another, the partitioning wall being adapted to be ruptured by being subjected to a pressure effect, the components being adapted, when being combined upon rupture of said wall, to provide a composition which expands during an initial curing period, and then sets rigidly with a substantial form stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1987
    Assignee: Oticon Electronics A/S
    Inventor: Poul E. Lyregaard
  • HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE COMPRISING AN INPUT TRANSDUCER SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20150078600
    Abstract: The application relates to a hearing assistance device (HAD) comprising (a) an input transducer system comprising (a1) an audio input transducer (AIT), and (a2) a first supplementary input transducer (SIT1), (b) an output transducer (OT) for converting a processed output signal to a stimulus perceivable by said user as sound, and (c) a signal processing unit (SPU) operationally connected to said audio input transducer (AIT), to said first supplementary input transducer (SIT1), and to said output transducer (OT), said signal processing unit (SPU) being configured for processing said electric audio input signal, and said first supplementary electric input signal, and for providing said processed output signal. The audio input transducer (AIT) is adapted for being located in an ear of the user. In a NORMAL mode of operation, electric audio input signal is processed in the signal processing unit and the supplementary electric input signal(s) are used to control the processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Karsten Bo RASMUSSEN, Søren STRANNE, Søren LAUGESEN
  • BINAURAL LEVEL AND/OR GAIN ESTIMATOR AND A HEARING SYSTEM COMPRISING A BINAURAL LEVEL AND/OR GAIN ESTIMATOR
    Publication number: 20190281395
    Abstract: A binaural hearing system comprises A) left and right hearing devices, each comprising a1) an input unit providing an electric input signal representing sound; and a2) an output unit, B) a binaural level and/or gain estimator comprising b1) left and right level estimators, each comprising respective fast and slow level estimators configured to provide respective fast and slow level estimates of respective electric input signals, h2) a fast binaural level comparison unit receiving the fast level estimates of the respective left and right fast level estimators and providing a fast binaural level comparison estimate; and h3) a fast binaural level and/or gain enhancer providing respective left and right binaural level and/or gain modification estimates, in dependence of said fast binaural level comparison estimate at said left and right ears, respectively, of the user. The binaural hearing system provides that the interaural level cues are either compressed, maintained or enhanced independent of each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: Oticon A/S
    Inventor: Lars BRAMSLØW
  • Vibrator for bone-conduction hearing
    Patent number: 7376237
    Abstract: The vibrator system is for generating bone conduction vibrations. A magnet (8a) provides a static magnetic flux (?1) that follows a first path. A bobbin (4a) is disposed at a center a vibrator (2). A housing (10) encloses the bobbin and has a coil surrounding a center of the bobbin. The coil is powered by an alternating current for providing an alternating dynamic magnetic flux (?2) following the first path through a magnetic circuit. The housing has an upper end (116). The upper end and the bobbin have a first gap (14a) formed therebetween. The housing has a lower end (118) opposite the upper end. The lower end and the bobbin have a second gap (14b) formed therebetween. The magnet is positioned so that the static magnetic flux (?1) is passing through the first and second gaps in a direction substantially parallel with an axial direction (A) of the vibrator. Suspension means (16a, 16b) are provided for suspending the bobbin in a center of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventor: Patrik Westerkull
  • Portable electronic system with improved wireless communication
    Patent number: 10224975
    Abstract: The application relates to a portable electronic system comprising a first electronic device and an auxiliary device. The first electronic device comprises a first antenna defining a first spatial direction, and a first wireless unit operationally coupled to the first antenna. The auxiliary device comprises a second antenna defining a second spatial direction, the second antenna comprising a multitude of antenna elements, each defining a specific spatial direction, a second wireless unit operationally coupled to the second antenna, a direction detector configured to provide a direction-signal indicating an estimate of a current value of said second spatial direction relative to a reference direction, and a control unit configured to selectively control the connection of said multitude of antenna elements of the second antenna to said second wireless unit based on said direction-signal from the direction detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Morten Elo Petersen, Thomas Gleerup, Troels Andersen
  • Hearing aid for placement at an ear of a user
    Patent number: 10848884
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a hearing aid for placement on head of a user comprising a first second part. The first part may comprise an acoustic input transducer adapted to convert ambient sound picked up at the ear of the user to an electric signal, a signal processor adapted to process the electric signal according to specifications of user into a processed electric signal, and an output transducer adapted to covert the processed electric signal into a transmission signal. The second part may comprise an anchor adapted to fixate said second part under the skin to skull bone of the user, and a receiver adapted to receive the transmission signal and convert the transmission signal to an output signal perceivable as sound by the user. The first part may comprise an inner recess adapted to receive an insert element, where the insert element may comprise a first magnet adapted to in cooperation with the second part to cause the first part to attach to the head of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: OTICON MEDICAL A/S
    Inventors: Emilie Munk Haagerup, Peder Hesselbjerg Pedersen, Mads Buur Mortensen, Johan Rosengren
  • BINAURAL HEARING AID SYSTEM COMPRISING TWO WIRELESS INTERFACES AND A USER INTERFACE
    Publication number: 20190110138
    Abstract: A binaural aid assistance system comprises first and second hearing assistance devices, each being adapted for being located at or in, or fully or partially implanted in the head at one of a left and right ear, respectively, of a user, wherein each of the first and second hearing assistance devices comprises a) a first wireless interface comprising first antenna and transceiver circuitry adapted for establishing a first communication link to the respective other hearing assistance device based on near-field communication; b) a second wireless interface comprising second antenna and transceiver circuitry adapted for establishing a second bi-directional communication link to an auxiliary device based on far-field communication; and wherein the hearing assistance system is configured to transmit an audio signal picked up by a microphone of the hearing assistance device(s) to said auxiliary device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Applicant: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Michael Syskind PEDERSEN, Jesper JENSEN, Peter S. K. HANSEN, Bjarne KIELSHOLM-RIBALAYGUA, Kåre Tais CHRISTENSEN, Jens TROELSEN, Hans Christian SCHOTT, Rune SØ
  • Hearing device, hearing aid system, method of operating a hearing aid system and use of a hearing aid device
    Patent number: 8325956
    Abstract: A hearing device includes an input transducer positionable at an ear of a user for converting an acoustic input to the hearing device into an input signal, and a filter providing a source signal based on a source band of the input signal and for providing a target signal based on a target band of the input signal. The source band contains lower frequencies than the target band. A modulation envelope processor processes the source signal to generate a modulation envelope signal. A signal combiner combines the modulation envelope signal with the target signal from the target band, generating a target output signal. The hearing device may also include a signal processor for processing at least the target output signal and providing a processed output signal, and an output transducer for converting the processed output signal into an acoustic output to be provided to the ear of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventor: Tobias Neher
  • Method of adapting a hearing device to a user's ear, and a hearing device
    Patent number: 9924284
    Abstract: The application relates to a hearing device comprising an input unit for providing an electric input audio signal, a configurable signal processing unit for processing an audio signal and providing a processed audio signal, and a reversible output transducer for converting an electric output signal to an acoustic output sound. The hearing device further comprises a measurement unit configured to convert a sound pressure level to an electric signal, termed the measurement signal, and a control unit configured to determine a present electric impedance of the output transducer or a measure indicative of said present electric impedance from said measurement signal. This has the advantage that no additional microphone or other measurement equipment is needed to provide a (e.g. in-situ) real ear measurement of sound pressure level. The invention may e.g. be used to control audio signal processing in hearing aids, headsets, ear phones, active ear protection systems, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: OTICON A/S, BERNAFON AG
    Inventors: Fabian Morant, Stefan Stegmann Jensen
  • HEARING DEVICE COMPRISING AN ADJUSTABLE VENT
    Publication number: 20220095058
    Abstract: A hearing device with an adjustable vent is disclosed. The device includes at least one microphone configured to provide an input signal representing sound, a processor configured to process the input signal and provide a processed signal, at least one loudspeaker configured to receive the processed signal from the processor and to provide an acoustic signal based on the processed signal to the ear of a user, an earpiece comprising a vent, and an electrically controllable valve configured to control the vent, and a valve control unit configured to receive one or more control signals in dependence of a current hearing situation of the hearing device, wherein the valve control unit is configured to adjust the electrically controllable valve in dependence of the one or more control signals to provide the vent to be in a state between an acoustically more open and an acoustically less open state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Anders Højsgaard THOMSEN, Karsten Bo RASMUSSEN, Svend Oscar PETERSEN, Edvinas BUREIKA, Christian Asp MOGENSEN, Troels Holm PEDERSEN, Gorm DANNESBOE, Jacob Anders ROUG, Mathias Bruun LARSEN, Mikkel NIELSEN
  • Hearing device comprising an adjustable vent
    Patent number: 11228848
    Abstract: A hearing device with an adjustable vent is disclosed. The device includes at least one microphone configured to provide an input signal representing sound, a processor configured to process the input signal and provide a processed signal, at least one loudspeaker configured to receive the processed signal from the processor and to provide an acoustic signal based on the processed signal to the ear of a user, an earpiece comprising a vent, and an electrically controllable valve configured to control the vent, and a valve control unit configured to receive one or more control signals in dependence of a current hearing situation of the hearing device, wherein the valve control unit is configured to adjust the electrically controllable valve in dependence of the one or more control signals to provide the vent to be in a state between an acoustically more open and an acoustically less open state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Anders Højsgaard Thomsen, Karsten Bo Rasmussen, Svend Oscar Petersen, Edvinas Bureika, Christian Asp Mogensen, Troels Holm Pedersen, Gorm Dannesboe, Jacob Anders Roug, Mathias Bruun Larsen, Mikkel Nielsen
  • Embedded RFID recorder in short-range wireless devices
    Patent number: 8686855
    Abstract: The invention relates to a portable communications device. The invention further relates to its use of and to a method of operating it. The object of the present invention is to facilitate adaptation of a communications device to its present environment, e.g. to facilitate spectrum sharing in short range communication devices. The problem is solved in that the portable communications device comprises a wireless communications interface for communicating with another device, a memory and an RFID-recorder for receiving an RFID-signal transmitted from an RFID-interrogator, wherein the device is adapted for storing individual received RFID-signals in the memory. An advantage of the invention is that it provides a relatively simple scheme for extracting information from a current environment of a portable communications device. The invention may e.g. be used for adapting listening devices, e.g. hearing instruments, headphones, or head sets to local, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventor: Petar Popovski
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