A hearing aid (1) comprises a hearing aid, a processor (7) and an inertial measurement unit (12), the processor being adapted to utilize the output from the inertial measurement unit to derive information about at least one of motion, tilt, and posture. The invention further provides a method of deriving information about at least one of motion, tilt, and posture.

The invention relates to a communication system comprising a hearing aid, a communication unit, a relay server, a rule processing server, and at least one external device, wherein the rule processing server comprises a data communication interface to communicate with said relay server and with a plurality of external devices over a plurality of data communication channels, a rule processor, and a rule base comprising a set of rules, each rule defining an action to be triggered in response to a trigger event. Said rule processor is configured to generate an action request signal in response to an event signal representing a trigger event. Said action request signal is configured to cause an action of at least one of the hearing aid, the communication unit, the relay server or the external device, and wherein said action request signal carries information that designates at least one of said devices and at least one action to be performed of said at least one device. Said communication system further comprises an event detector that is configured to detect a trigger event and to generate the event signal in response to a detection of the trigger event.

A method for directional signal processing for a hearing aid. First and second input transducers generate first and second input signals from an ambient acoustic signal. A forward signal and a backward signal are generated from the first and second input signals and a first directional parameter is determined as a linear factor of a linear combination of the forward and backward signals. The first directional signal has a maximum attenuation in a first direction. A correction parameter is ascertained such that a second directional signal has a defined relative attenuation in the first direction. The second directional signal is generated from the forward signal and the backward signal with the first directional parameter and the correction parameter or with the first directional signal and the omnidirectional signal based on the correction parameter. An output signal of the hearing aid is generated based on the second directional signal.

Acoustic valves including a housing having an acoustic passage are disclosed. A bobbin located in the housing includes a valve seat and a body member housing a magnetic core. An electrical coil is disposed about a portion of the body member, an axial dimension of the electrical coil substantially aligned with an axial dimension of the magnetic core. The electrical coil generates a magnetic field when energized. An armature is movably disposed in the housing between the valve seat and a second surface of the acoustic valve. The valve has a first stable state when the armature is positioned against the valve seat, and the valve has a second stable state when the armature is positioned against the second surface. The valve seat and the second surface are on opposite sides of the armature. The armature is movable between the valve seat and the second surface when the electrical coil is energized, such that the acoustic passage is more obstructed when the armature is positioned against the valve seat than when the armature is positioned against the second surface.

A system may include a wearable camera configured to capture images and a microphone configured to capture sounds, and a processor programmed to receive the images captured by the camera and audio signals representative of sounds received by the microphone. The processor may also be programmed to determine a look direction for a user based upon detection of a representation of a body part of the user in at least one of the captured images and a pointing direction of the body part relative to an optical axis associated with the wearable camera. The processor may further be programmed to cause selective conditioning of an audio signal received by the microphone from a region associated with the look direction of the user and cause transmission of the conditioned audio signal to an interface device.

A hearing aid includes a) at least one input unit for providing a time-frequency representation Y(k,n) of an electric input signal representing sound consisting of target speech and noise signal components, where k and n are frequency band and time frame indices, respectively, b) a noise reduction system configured to b1) determine an a posteriori signal to noise ratio estimate (k,n) of the electric input signal, and to b2) determine an a priori signal to noise signal ratio estimate (k,n) of the electric input signal from the a posteriori signal to noise ratio estimate (k,n) based on a recursive algorithm providing non-linear smoothing. The a posteriori signal to noise ratio estimate of said electric input signal is provided as a mixture of first and second different a posteriori signal to noise ratio estimates. The invention may be used in audio processing devices, such as hearing aids, headsets, etc.

A method operates a hearing aid system in which a dynamic range scheme for an automatic gain control is modified depending on the situation. A gain factor is set by the automatic gain control which has a dynamic range processor operated with a dynamic range scheme defining the gain factor in dependence on a level of an input signal. A corresponding hearing aid system carries out this method.

A hearing system to activate an auditory system using cerebrospinal fluids includes at least one processor configured to receive an audio signal captured using a sound sensor (e.g., a microphone), extract temporal and spectral features from the audio signal, and create modulated ultrasound signals in a range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz with ultrasound carrier frequencies in the range of 50 kHz to 4 MHz, which are ultrasound frequencies that are well-suited to reach the cerebrospinal fluids (e.g., can pass across the skull/bones to reach the cerebrospinal fluids). The system further includes at least one ultrasonic transducer which receives the modulated signal and delivers the modulated signal to the body and activates the auditory system via vibration of cerebrospinal fluids that vibrate cochlear fluids, bypassing the normal conductive pathway that uses middle ear bones and minimizing bone conduction and distortion through the skull.

A damping device for the anti-vibration mounting of a receiver within a hearing instrument includes an elastic damping element, a cage connected to the elastic damping element, and a shell surrounding the cage. The elastic damping element and at least a part of the shell have a lower hardness than the cage. A hearing instrument having a corresponding damping device is also provided.

A system may include a wearable camera configured to capture images and a microphone configured to capture sounds, and a processor programmed to receive the images captured by the camera and audio signals representative of sounds received by the microphone. The processor may also be programmed to determine a look direction for a user based upon detection of a representation of a body part of the user in at least one of the captured images and a pointing direction of the body part relative to an optical axis associated with the wearable camera. The processor may further be programmed to cause selective conditioning of an audio signal received by the microphone from a region associated with the look direction of the user and cause transmission of the conditioned audio signal to an interface device.