272 results about "Hearing instruments" patented technology

A hearing system (1) capable of assisting a user of the hearing system (1) to find a location where satisfactory hearing performance is achievable is described. The hearing system (1) comprises at least one hearing device (11, 12) with an input transducer (20), an output transducer (40), and a processing unit (30) operatively connected to the input transducer (20) as well as to the output transducer (40). The hearing system (1) further comprises a first means (50) for determining from a signal of the input transducer (20) at least one parameter (60) representative of a current acoustic environment at a current location, and a second means (40, 200, 201) for indicating to a user of the hearing system (1) a degree of suitability of the current location to achieve satisfactory hearing performance based on the at least one parameter (60).

A low-voltage, low-power, synchronous, bidirectional, time-multiplexed, serial communication, scalable system bus carrying a number of signals over a fewer number of wires between a master device and peripheral devices or between peripheral devices. One of the wires carries a composite digital signal that includes a data signal and a synchronizing signal, though other combinations are contemplated. The system bus can support more peripheral devices than there are available time slots, and supports interrupt polling and servicing. In addition, peripheral devices that include an electro-mechanical or electro-acoustical component connected to the system bus can also communicate directly to each other without using the system bus. The system bus can be implemented in low voltage, low power devices, including listening devices such as hearing instruments and headsets, portable telephones, and personal digital assistants.

According to the invention, a hearing instrument comprising at least one inner microphone operable to determine a sensing signal representative of an acoustic signal at a position in front of the user's eardrum—which may be an acoustic signal at a position between an ITE (or ITC or CIC) hearing instrument and the eardrum or between an earpiece and the eardrum—is used. In accordance with the invention, in front of the eardrum an acoustic signal is produced. The inner microphone creates a sensing signal representative of the acoustic signal, and the signal processing unit of the hearing instrument determines a characteristic of the user's ear canal based thereon and memorizes values indicative of the characteristic. According to a preferred embodiment, the characteristic is an acoustic coupling transfer characteristic, which is determined based on a comparison of a signal representative of the output signal of the signal processing unit's digital signal processing stage and the sensing signal. In contrast to the state of the art, no control loop is necessary to adapt the gain to the ear canal characteristic, but the memorized values may be used therefor.

A multi-channel digital hearing instrument is provided that includes a microphone, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, a sound processor, a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter and a speaker. The microphone receives an acoustical signal and generates an analog audio signal. The A/D converter converts the analog audio signal into a digital audio signal. The sound processor includes channel processing circuitry that filters the digital audio signal into a plurality of frequency band-limited audio signals and that provides an automatic gain control function that permits quieter sounds to be amplified at a higher gain than louder sounds and may be configured to the dynamic hearing range of a particular hearing instrument user. The D/A converter converts the output from the sound processor into an analog audio output signal. The speaker converts the analog audio output signal into an acoustical output signal that is directed into the ear canal of the hearing instrument user.

An antenna system is provided that is capable of transmitting and receiving using near-field magnetic induction (NFMI). The antenna system includes a non-magnetic metallic core, a ferrite shield, and at least one electrically conducting winding. The ferrite shield is positioned between the non-magnetic metallic core and the electrically conducting winding. The non-magnetic metallic core may be a battery. The ferrite material forms a low impedance path for the magnetic field lines and increases inductance, thus providing increased energy efficiency and transmission quality. The antenna system is suitable for use in space constrained battery powered devices, such as hear instruments including hearing aids and earbuds.

The application relates to a method of improving a user's perception of an input sound. The application further relates to an audio processing device and to its use. The object of the present application is to increase the sound quality of a sound signal as perceived by a user, e.g. a hearing impaired user. The method comprises a) Defining a critical frequency f_crit between a low frequency range and a high frequency range; b) Analyzing an input sound in a number of frequency bands below and above said critical frequency; c) Defining a cut-off frequency f_cut below said critical frequency f_crit; d) Identifying a source frequency band above said cut-off frequency f_cut; e) Extracting the envelope of said source band; f) Identifying a corresponding target band below said critical frequency f_crit; g) Extracting the phase of said target band; h) Combining the envelope of said source band with the phase of said target band. This has the advantage of increasing the sound quality, and the potential to further improve speech intelligibility in frequency transposition, e.g. frequency lowering systems. The invention may e.g. be used in communication devices, such as telephones, or listening devices, e.g. hearing instruments, headsets, head phones, active ear protection devices or combinations thereof.

The invention is directed to an implanted microphone having reduced sensitivity to vibration. In this regard, the microphone differentiates between the desirable and undesirable vibration by utilizing at least one motion sensor to produce a motion signal when an implanted microphone is in motion. This motion signal is used to yield a microphone output signal that is less vibration sensitive. In a first arrangement, the motion signal may be processed with an output of the implantable microphone transducer to provide an audio signal that is less vibration-sensitive than the microphone output alone. Specifically, the motion signal may be scaled to match the motion component of the microphone output such that upon removal of the motion signal from the microphone output, the remaining signal is an acoustic signal.

The invention relates to a communication system comprising a first and a second communication device, each comprising transmit and receive units for establishing a wireless link between the devices, wherein the first device is a portable listening device. The invention further relates to a method, a data processing system and a medium. The object of the present invention is to control power consumption in a short range wireless link. The problem is solved in that at least the first communication device comprises a control unit for dynamically adjusting the transmit power of its transmit unit based on a measure of the quality of the link, wherein the system is adapted to use the dynamic transmit power regulation to implement a partial power-down mode of the system, when the two communication devices are expected NOT to be in a normal use, wherein the partial power-down mode at least comprises a power-down of the components related to the wireless link. This has the advantage of enabling an adaptation of the power consumption to the current needs. The invention may e.g. be used for wireless communication between (portable) low power devices, e.g. between a pair of hearing instruments.

The present invention provides a hearing device comprising a first component (10) with a housing (11) comprising at least one electronic module, said housing (11) being adapted to be carried outside of or at the human body and a second component (20) to be inserted either partially or fully into an ear canal of a human body, said second component (20) comprising a shell (21). The hearing device further comprises connecting means connecting both mechanically and electrically said first and said second component (10;20), comprising a tube (30) with electric wire arranged within the tube (30) and two fasteners (31;32) being arranged at each end of said tube (30). Said first fastener (31), being adapted to detachably connect said second component (20) with said connecting means, comprises a receiving housing or compartment, adapted to contain at least a part of a receiver (23) to be placed within said second component (20). By providing a detachable fastener (31;32) at least at one end of the tube (30) acting as connecting means between the first and second component (10;20) of the hearing device, the connecting means may be easily detached from either the first or the second component (10;20) of the hearing device.

An electrophysiological measurement method and system is provided for positioning an implantable transducer of a hearing instrument relative to a middle ear component or inner ear of a patient. The method and system employ electrophysiological measurement signals obtained in response to test signals applied to an implanted transducer. In one embodiment, the electrophysiological measurements are obtained by an electrocochleography measurement device that measures the cochlear summating potential and/or action potential responsive to test signals applied to an implanted transducer. In another embodiment, an auditory brainstem response measurement device is utilized to obtain electrical potential measurement signals responsive to test signals applied to an implanted transducer.

A hearing device test system for use by a non-expert user may include a hearing device comprising a sound processor and a speaker and a portable test unit including a test microphone acoustically coupled to an exterior of the portable test unit via an acoustic calibration cavity. The portable test unit may include a coupler at an opening to the acoustic calibration cavity configured to receive the hearing device at least partially therein and the test microphone may be configured to produce a calibration signal input responsive to acoustic calibration stimuli provided by the speaker of the hearing device. The hearing device test system may also include a processor associated therewith and configured to measure a level of the calibration signal input.

Disclosed is an apparatus for generating a magnetic field in a portable wireless terminal for a hearing impaired person. In the apparatus, an amplifier amplifies a voice-band electric signal received from a CODEC to a predetermined level, and a coil converts the amplified electric signal into a corresponding magnetic signal. The coil is configured to generate the magnetic signal sufficiently enough to allow a hearing impaired user wearing a hearing aid to make and receive calls with the portable wireless terminal.

A method for deploying hearing instrument fitting software wherein the fitting software comprises executable fitting program code (13) configured to process fitting program data (12,14) on a programmable data processor (11), comprises the steps of

• • reading fitting program definition data (3) from data storage means provided in the hearing instrument (1),
  • determining, from the fitting program definition data (3), at least part of least one of the fitting program data (12,14) and the fitting program code (13). The hearing instrument itself comprises the information defining the fitting software—be it the complete fitting software or an update or change to a fitting software residing in an external device.

A hearing instrument having an audio signal processing unit (16) for processing audio signals and a device (20) for vibrating at least one of the a user's eyeballs (22) in the audible frequency range according to the processed audio signals in order to stimulate the user's hearing sense.

A method of processing an acoustic input signal into an output signal in a hearing instrument includes converting the acoustic input signal into a converted input signal, and applying a gain to the converted input signal to obtain the output signal. According to the invention, the gain is calculated using a room impulse attenuation value being a measure of a maximum negative slope of the a converted input signal power on a logarithmic scale. The calculation of the gain may include evaluating a signal power development value being a measure of the actual converted input signal power attenuation or signal power increase, evaluating a signal-to-reverberation-noise ratio from the signal power development value and the room impulse attenuation value, and calculating, based on a gain rule, said gain from said signal-to-reverberation-noise ratio.

The invention relates to a listening device comprising an ear-part adapted for being worn in or at an ear of a user, a front and rear direction being defined relative to a person wearing the ear-part in an operational position. The invention further relates to a method of operating a hearing instrument, to its use, to a listening system, to a computer readable medium and to a data processing system. The object of the present invention is to provide localization cues for indicating a direction of origin of a sound source. The problem is solved in that the listening system comprises (a) a microphone system comprising at least two microphones each converting an input sound to an electrical microphone signal, (b) a DIR-unit comprising a directionality system for providing a weighted sum of the at least two electrical microphone signals thereby providing at least two directional microphone signals having maximum sensitivity in spatially different directions and a combined microphone signal, and (c) a frequency shaping-unit for modifying the combined microphone signal to indicate directional cues of input sounds originating from at least one of said spatially different directions and providing an improved directional output signal. This has the advantage of providing an alternative or an addition to natural localization cues. The invention may e.g. be used in listening devices, e.g. hearing instruments, head phones, headsets or active ear plugs.

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. country specific, conditions or to operate in an efficient way under given interference conditions.

A hearing instrument has a plurality of electronic components within a body, and an inertial sensor mechanically coupled with the body. The inertial sensor is configured to monitor the motion of the body and generate a movement signal representative of the body motion. A controller operatively coupled with the inertial sensor controls power usage by at least one or more of the electronic components as a function of the movement signal.