Search Patents
  • Hearing assistance device comprising an implanted part for measuring and processing electrically evoked nerve responses
    Patent number: 10099054
    Abstract: The application relates to a hearing assistance device comprising an implanted part and to a method of its operation. The disclosure aims at improving the identification and processing of recorded nerve response data in an implanted part. The implanted part comprises a) A multitude of electrodes; b) Stimulation circuitry electrically coupled to a stimulation electrode during a stimulation time period; c) Measurement circuitry electrically coupled to a recording electrode during a measurement time period; d) A control unit configured to control the timing of the application of the stimulation signal in the stimulation time period and to control the measurement time period relative to the stimulation time period; and e) A processing unit configured to record the measured signal in the measurement time period and to identify a response from the auditory nerve based on said measured signal. The invention may e.g. be used for cochlear implant type hearing aids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Oticon Medical A/S
    Inventors: Jonathan Laudanski, Nicolas Veau
  • System and method for sharing network resources between hearing devices
    Patent number: 8452036
    Abstract: This invention relates to a system (100, 200) for enabling a hearing device (106, 202) wireless access to a communication network (114). The system (100, 200) comprises a first transceiver unit (108) in said hearing device (106, 202) communicating according to a first communication protocol. The system (100, 200) further comprises a server device (112, 204) comprising an input/output unit (122), which is connected to the communication network (114) and communicates according to a second communication protocol, a second transceiver unit (118), which is connected wirelessly to the first transceiver unit (108) and communicates according to the first communication protocol, and comprising a translator unit (120), which interconnects the second transceiver unit (118) and the input/output unit (122) and translates between the first and second communication protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Peter Sommer, Carsten Trygve Bøgh
  • METHOD OF CORRECTING ERRORS IN BINARY MASKS
    Publication number: 20110051948
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of identifying and correcting errors in a noisy binary mask. An object of the present invention is to provide a scheme for improving a binary mask representing speech. The problem is solved in that the method comprises a) providing a noisy binary mask comprising a binary representation of the power density of an acoustic signal comprising a target signal and a noise signal at a predefined number of discrete frequencies and a number of discrete time instances; b) providing a statistical model of a clean binary mask representing the power density of the target signal; and c) using the statistical model to detect and correct errors in the noisy binary mask. This has the advantage of providing an alternative and relatively simple way of improving an estimate of a binary mask representing a speech signal. The invention may e.g. be used for speech processing, e.g. in a hearing instrument.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Jesper Bünsow BOLDT, Ulrik Kjems, Michael Syskind Pedersen, Mads Graesbøll Christensen, Søren Holdt Jensen
  • Transmit-receive switching in wireless hearing aids
    Patent number: 7512383
    Abstract: Systems, devices and methods are provided to switch between transmit and receive modes in wireless hearing aids. One aspect relates to an apparatus for use within a communication system that has an inductive coil connected to a tuning capacitor at a node. An amplifier is connected to the node through a DC blocking capacitor to receive an induced signal in the inductive coil in a receive mode. A driver energizes the inductive coil with a driven signal in a transmit mode. According to various embodiments, the apparatus transforms the inductive coil, the tuning capacitor and the DC blocking capacitor into an equivalent series resonant circuit to reduce an inductive load in the transmit mode, and transforms the inductive coil, the tuning capacitor and the DC blocking capacitor into an equivalent parallel resonant circuit to increase an inductive load in the receive mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignees: Starkey Laboratories, Inc., Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Mohamad Essabar, John David Terry
  • Monaural speech intelligibility predictor unit, a hearing aid and a binaural hearing system
    Patent number: 10154353
    Abstract: Signal processing methods for predicting the intelligibility of speech, e.g., in the form of an index that correlate highly with the fraction of words that an average listener (amongst a group of listeners with similar hearing profiles) would be able to understand from some speech material are proposed. Specifically, solutions to the problem of predicting the intelligibility of speech signals, which are distorted, e.g., by noise or reverberation, and which might have been passed through some signal processing device, e.g., a hearing aid are described. In summary, the disclosure present solutions to the following problems: 1. Monaural, non-intrusive intelligibility prediction of noisy/processed speech signals 2. Binaural, non-intrusive intelligibility prediction of noisy/processed speech signals 3. Monaural and binaural intelligibility enhancement of noisy speech signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Jesper Jensen, Asger Heidemann Andersen, Jan Mark De Haan
  • RF antenna and hearing device with RF antenna
    Patent number: 10306382
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an RF antenna adapted to receive and/or transmit electromagnetic RF signals within a first frequency range enclosing a first frequency of resonance of the RF antenna, the RF antenna comprising: an electrically conductive antenna element having a feed for electrically connecting to an RF transmitter and/or an RF receiver; an electronic component adapted to receive and/or provide one or more electric signals from/to an electronic circuit within a second frequency range not overlapping the first frequency range; and one or more electric leads electrically connected to lead the one or more electric signals between the electronic component and the electronic circuit, each of the one or more electric leads being electrically connected to the electronic circuit through a respective inductor adapted to reflect and/or attenuate signals within the first frequency range and pass signals within the second frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Jens Troelsen, Oliver Sundberg, Kåre Tais Christensen, Henning Knak Poulsen
  • Measurement apparatus for testing and calibrating bone-conduction vibrators
    Patent number: 9756433
    Abstract: A skull simulator tests and calibrates bone-conduction vibrators under realistic operating conditions. In known skull simulators, the front wall of the casing—and/or exposed parts of the suspension—have one or more planar surfaces on the front, and these planar surfaces are thus oriented towards the bone-conduction vibrator when it is mounted on the skull simulator. Such planar surfaces may reflect airborne sound from the vibrator housing or may emit sounds themselves when vibrating, and the reflected or emitted sound contributes to resonances are not present when the bone-conduction vibrator is mounted on a human head. In the current design all exposed parts on the front located outside a coupling surface for connecting the bone-conduction vibrator do not have planar surfaces perpendicular to the main oscillation axis or that otherwise, such planar surfaces comprising an acoustic foam having an acoustic dampening effect on sound waves impinging thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: OTICON MEDICAL A/S
    Inventors: Bengt Bern, Jens Balslev
  • HEARING DEVICE COMPRISING A FEEDBACK CANCELLATION SYSTEM BASED ON SIGNAL ENERGY RELOCATION
    Publication number: 20170070827
    Abstract: A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, is provided, comprising a forward path comprising an input transducer for providing an electric input signal, a signal processing unit configured to apply a requested forward gain to the electric input signal, and an output transducer. The hearing device further comprises a feedback reduction unit for reducing a risk of howl due to feedback from the output transducer to the input transducer. The forward path and the external feedback path defines a roundtrip loop delay. The feedback reduction unit is configured to modulate said requested forward gain in time, to provide that the resulting forward gain exhibits a first, increased gain AH in a first time period TH and a second, reduced gain AL in a second time period TL, wherein at least one of AH, AL, TH, and TL is/are determined according to a predetermined or adaptively determined criterion including said roundtrip loop delay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Applicants: Oticon A/S, Bernafon AG
    Inventors: Meng GUO, Bernhard KÜNZLE
  • Hearing device comprising a feedback detection unit
    Patent number: 10659891
    Abstract: A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, comprises a forward path for processing an electric signal representing sound including a) an input unit for receiving or providing an electric input signal representing sound, b) a signal processing unit, c) an output transducer for generating stimuli perceivable as sound to a user, d) a feedback detection unit configured to detect feedback or evaluate a risk of feedback via an acoustic or mechanical or electrical feedback path from said output transducer to said input unit and comprising d1) a magnitude and phase analysis unit for repeatedly determining magnitude, Mag, and phase, Phase, of said electric input signal and further parameters based thereon, and d2) a feedback conditions and detection unit configured to check criteria for magnitude and phase feedback condition, respectively, based on said values, and to provide a feedback detection signal indicative of feedback or a risk of feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Martin Kuriger, Bernhard Kuenzle, Meng Guo
  • Method of current management in a battery powered device and battery powered device
    Patent number: 7508950
    Abstract: A method of current management in a battery powered device includes the steps of (a) comparing the actual supply voltage from the battery with a fixed reference voltage, (b) generating a control signal whenever the supply voltage is below the reference voltage, (c) using the control signal to reduce the load current in the battery powered device, whereby the supply voltage from the battery will increase, and (d) repeating steps a, b and c as long as the supply voltage is below the reference voltage. A current management system is provided that, when used within a hearing aid, will allow very high load currents and thereby high sound pressure levels to be obtained from the hearing aid. This is achieved without having severe problems with the reduced battery voltage when the battery approaches the end of its lifetime and/or if the air flow within the battery becomes insufficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventor: Finn Danielsen
  • ECAP recording method and cochlea implant system
    Patent number: 11745008
    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: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Oticon Medical A/S
    Inventors: Behnam Molaee, Manuel Segovia Martinez
  • Device and method for applying a vibration signal to a human skull bone
    Patent number: 8634583
    Abstract: Hearing losses caused by deficiencies in a person's outer or middle ear may be compensated for by converting received sounds to vibrations and transmitting the vibrations to the skull bone (2). Bone-conduction hearing devices (27) may transmit such vibrations transcutaneously or percutaneously. In both cases, a precise determination of the magnitude of the vibrations applied to the skull bone (2) is needed for determining the person's bone-conduction hearing thresholds as well as for calibrating the hearing devices (27). The present invention provides a device (1, 27, 37) and a method, which allow determination of the applied vibrational force with better precision than prior art devices and methods. This is achieved by placing an accelerometer (21) on the countermass (11) of the vibrator (1) that generates the vibration signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Oticon Medical A/S
    Inventor: Bengt Bern
  • RF antenna and hearing device with RF antenna
    Patent number: 9961457
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an RF antenna adapted to receive and/or transmit electromagnetic RF signals within a first frequency range enclosing a first frequency of resonance of the RF antenna, the RF antenna comprising: an electrically conductive antenna element having a feed for electrically connecting to an RF transmitter and/or an RF receiver; an electronic component adapted to receive and/or provide one or more electric signals from/to an electronic circuit within a second frequency range not overlapping the first frequency range; and one or more electric leads electrically connected to lead the one or more electric signals between the electronic component and the electronic circuit, each of the one or more electric leads being electrically connected to the electronic circuit through a respective inductor adapted to reflect and/or attenuate signals within the first frequency range and pass signals within the second frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Jens Troelsen, Oliver Sundberg, Kåre Tais Christensen, Henning Knak Poulsen
  • RF antenna and hearing device with RF antenna
    Patent number: 10966037
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an RF antenna adapted to receive and/or transmit electromagnetic RF signals within a first frequency range enclosing a first frequency of resonance of the RF antenna, the RF antenna comprising: an electrically conductive antenna element having a feed for electrically connecting to an RF transmitter and/or an RF receiver; an electronic component adapted to receive and/or provide one or more electric signals from/to an electronic circuit within a second frequency range not overlapping the first frequency range; and one or more electric leads electrically connected to lead the one or more electric signals between the electronic component and the electronic circuit, each of the one or more electric leads being electrically connected to the electronic circuit through a respective inductor adapted to reflect and/or attenuate signals within the first frequency range and pass signals within the second frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Jens Troelsen, Oliver Sundberg, Kåre Tais Christensen, Henning Knak Poulsen
  • Hearing device comprising a feedback detection unit
    Patent number: 10368175
    Abstract: A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, comprises a forward path for processing an electric signal representing sound including a) an input unit for receiving or providing an electric input signal representing sound, b) a signal processing unit, c) an output transducer for generating stimuli perceivable as sound to a user, d) a feedback detection unit configured to detect feedback or evaluate a risk of feedback via an acoustic or mechanical or electrical feedback path from said output transducer to said input unit and comprising d1) a magnitude and phase analysis unit for repeatedly determining magnitude, Mag, and phase, Phase, of said electric input signal and further parameters based thereon, and d2) a feedback conditions and detection unit configured to check criteria for magnitude and phase feedback condition, respectively, based on said values, and to provide a feedback detection signal indicative of feedback or a risk of feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Martin Kuriger, Bernhard Kuenzle, Meng Guo
  • Wireless hearing device
    Patent number: 10582291
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wireless hearing device that comprises an ear part, an elongated part and a guide unit. The ear part is configured to be worn in an ear of the user of the hearing device and comprises a speaker unit that is arranged in an ear part housing of the ear part. The elongated part is attached to the ear part such that a distal end of the elongated part faces away from the ear part. Furthermore, the elongated part has an elongated part housing that is arranged to encompass a microphone unit with at least one microphone of the hearing device. The guide unit is arranged at the ear part such that the guide unit can be located between Tragus part and Antitragus part of the ear, while the ear part is in an operating position in the ear of the user, and wherein the guide unit allows a maintaining of a position of the ear part with respect to the ear such that the distal end of the elongated part points toward a user's mouth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventor: Torben Christiansen
  • FEEDBACK ELIMINATION IN A HEARING AID
    Publication number: 20220312129
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes an input unit, an output unit, a signal processing unit connected to the input unit and output unit, where the input unit, the signal processing unit and the output unit form part of a forward path of the hearing aid, where the signal processing unit is configured to apply a forward gain to the at least one electric input signal or a signal originating therefrom. The hearing aid further includes a feedback reduction unit configured to reduce risk of howl due to acoustic, electrical, and/or mechanical feedback of an external feedback path from the output unit to the input unit. The feedback reduction unit is configured to modulate the forward gain in time to provide that the forward gain exhibits an increased or unchanged forward gain in one or more first time periods and a reduced forward gain in one or more second time periods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Meng GUO, Bernhard KUENZLE, Anders MENG, Martin KURIGER, Mojtaba FARMANI, Mikkel GRØNBECH, Sudershan Yalgalwadi SREEPADARAO, Kim Tilgaard PETERSEN
  • Spectral content modification for robust feedback channel estimation
    Patent number: 8422707
    Abstract: A listening device includes an input and output transducers and a forward path defined between the transducers. The forward path may include a signal processing unit processing an SPU-input signal originating from the electric input signal in a time-frequency representation having successive time frames each having a frequency spectrum of the signal in the time frame in question. The signal processing unit includes a spectral content modification unit to modify values of the signal of one or more regions of the frequency spectrum of a given time frame so that the modified values are less correlated to the corresponding time-frequency regions of the input signal. A feedback path estimation unit is uses he improved processed output signal in the feedback estimation. The spectral content modification unit may base the modification on a model of the human auditory system so that the modifications are not perceptible by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Thomas Bo Elmedyb, Jesper Jensen
  • Method for dynamic determination of time constants, method for level detection, method for compressing an electric audio signal and hearing aid, wherein the method for compression is used
    Patent number: 7333623
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for dynamic determination of time constants to be used in a detection of the signal level of an input signal of unknown level in an electric circuit, comprising the following steps:—feed the input signal through an auxiliary level detection means that is reacting faster to changes in the input sound signal level than the detection of the signal level as a whole,—feed either the input signal or the output of the auxiliary level detection means through a guided level detection means, which is arranged with a guided time constant, and where the guided level detection means outputs an estimate of the level of the input signal,—analyze the outputs of the auxiliary and the guided level detector means, determine the time constant of the guided level detection means based on this analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventor: Joachim Neumann
  • 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
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