A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computing device having a controller to modify sound produced by a gaming application according to an otological profile of a user. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

A processing device is interfaced with an auditory region of the brain of a subject that is responsible for auditory perception. The processing device receives signals associated with nerve impulses that are transmitted to the auditory region of the brain of the subject in response to sound collected by an ear of the subject. The processing device processes the received signals and generates at least one audio signal that is representative of the auditory perception, by the subject, of the sound collected by the ear. In certain embodiments, the processing device processes at least one audio signal that is representative of at least one sound to convert the at least one audio signal to a sequence of nerve impulses, and selectively provides the sequence of nerve impulses to the auditory region of the brain of the subject such that the subject audially perceives the at least one sound.

Hearing systems have at least one hearing instrument which is parameterizable by means of a plurality of signal processing parameters. An initial setting of the signal processing parameters is performed in a test group of hearing systems and a final setting is derived after single or multiple changing of the parameter setting. A change vector in the parameter space is determined from the difference between the final setting and the initial setting. A language indicator characterizing a specific language is assigned to each change vector. From change vectors which are assigned to the same language or a language group a center of gravity of the change vectors in the parameter space is determined as the center of gravity of change. The center of gravity of change is used for a subsequent setting of the hearing systems in the test group or a further hearing system.

Disclosed herein, among other things, are apparatus and methods for a binaurally coordinated frequency translation for hearing assistance devices. In various method embodiments, an audio input signal is received at a first hearing assistance device for a wearer. The audio input signal is analyzed and a first set of target parameters is calculated. A third set of target parameters is derived from the first set and a second set of calculated target parameters received from a second hearing assistance device using a programmable criteria, and frequency lowered auditory cues are generated using the third set of target parameters. The derived third set of target parameters is used in both the first hearing assistance device and the second hearing assistance device for binaurally coordinated frequency lowering.

A system and method are provided for capturing hearing characteristics from self-administered hearing tests, including loudness tolerance levels at different sound frequencies, as an individualized shaped auditory profile for automatically enhancing audio to complement and address an individual's hearing deficits experienced via a particular signal pathway including the audio device used to administer the test, the sound environment, and the user's hearing capabilities. The user may self-administer a hearing test on a smartphone or other device. The shaped auditory profile may be used to produce enhanced sound subsequently transmitted to the individual via the same signal pathway. In some aspects, the invention is useful for any individual seeking an enhanced hearing experience, whether having hearing within normal range or hearing that is impaired. Manual gain adjustments applied by a user to the enhanced sound thereby produced may result in changes to a stored shaped auditory profile or the generation of a new profile.

A hearing prosthesis system includes a processor arranged to communicate a stimulation signal to a vibration stimulator of a first hearing prosthesis. The processor receives an indication of a measured input signal from a first transducer of a second hearing prosthesis. A processor calculates a feedback associated with the stimulation. The processor may also be further configured to adjust a gain table or an input to a feedback reduction algorithm in response to the calculated feedback. Additionally, the processor of the hearing prosthesis system may also be arranged to communicate a second stimulation signal to a vibration stimulator of the second hearing prosthesis. The processor receives an indication of a measured input signal from the first hearing prosthesis. Further, the processor calculates a second feedback associated with the second stimulation.

A hearing device includes: a sound analyser configure to receive a sound signal and determine a contribution of at least one sound source associated with the sound signal; a difference estimator coupled to the sound analyser, and configured to estimate spatial cue information of the at least one sound source for storage in the hearing device; and a communication device configured to receive from a second hearing device information related to the at least one sound source; wherein the difference estimator is configured to update the stored spatial cue information of the at least one sound source based on the information received by the communication device.

A system for enabling a hearing device wireless access to a communication network includes a first transceiver unit in the hearing device communicating according to a first communication protocol. The system also includes a server device including an input/output unit connected to the communication network and configured to communicate according to a second communication protocol. A second transceiver unit is connected wirelessly to the first transceiver unit and configured to communicate according to the first communication protocol. A translator unit interconnects the second transceiver unit and the input/output unit and is configured to translate between the first and second communication protocol. The hearing device is configured to upload and download data to and from the communication network through the server device, and the server device is incorporated in a mobile or cellular telephone.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computing device having a controller to modify sound produced by a gaming application according to an otological profile of a user. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

An acoustical module including a receiver unit for generating audio sound, microphone units for receiving acoustical pressure signals, and acoustical pressure pick-up points. Each of the acoustical pressure pick-up points is acoustically connected to a microphone unit. The module further includes an acoustical filter for attenuating acoustical pressure signals from a first acoustical pressure pick-up point relative to a second acoustical pressure pick-up point. The invention further relates to a hearing device comprising an acoustical module.