A method for a wireless personal communication using a hearing system with a hearing device comprises: monitoring and analyzing the user's acoustic environment by the hearing device to recognize one or more speaking persons based on content-independent speaker voiceprints saved in the hearing system; and presenting a user interface to the user for notifying the user about a recognized speaking person and for establishing, joining or leaving a wireless personal communication connection between the hearing device and one or more communication devices used by the one or more recognized speaking persons.

In a method for the environment-dependent operation of a hearing system values for a first plurality of environmental data of a first user of the hearing system are determined each time in a training phase for survey times, and the values of the environmental data for each of the survey times are used to form respectively a feature vector in an at least four-dimensional feature space. Each of the feature vectors is mapped respectively onto a corresponding representative vector in a maximum three-dimensional representation space, and a spatial distribution of a subgroup of representative vectors is used to define a first region in the representation space for a first environmental situation of the hearing system. A value of a setting for signal processing of the hearing system is specified for the first environmental situation, and the hearing system is operated with the value set in this way.

A method, comprising receiving at least one sound at an electronic device. The at least one sound is enhanced for the at least one user based on a compound metric. The compound metric is calculated using at least two sound metrics selected from an engineering metric, a perceptual metric, and a physiological metric. The engineering metric comprises a difference between an output signal and a desired signal. At least one of the perceptual metric and the physiological metric is based at least in part on input sensed from the at least one user in response to the received at least one sound.

A method for a hearing test includes receiving a first testing hearing threshold for a subject at a first frequency under a first background noise level; calculating a first testing signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) between the first testing hearing threshold and the first background noise level; responsive to the first testing SNR, receiving a first adjusted hearing threshold; and responsive to the first adjusted hearing threshold, modifying a first hearing test result of the first frequency.

Techniques used to selectively amplify audio signals are described in connection with audio amplification devices, such as hearing aids. A device and its operation are described to facilitate setting low and high tone/volume controls separately, using at least two selection mechanisms. In one aspect, a first selection mechanism includes a pitch frequency control rocker switch and the second selection mechanism includes a bass frequency control rocker switch disposed separately. In one aspect, the bass frequency control rocker switch causes a processor to bias the frequency response of the sound amplifier for frequencies below 1 kHz. In another aspect, the pitch frequency control rocker switch causes a processor to bias the frequency response of the hearing for frequencies above 1 kHz. In another aspect, the selection mechanism involves the separate attenuation of treble and bass adjustments in response to a user selection of a rocker switch setting for each adjustment.

Presented herein are techniques for initiating a night-time mode of operation in an implantable hearing prosthesis in response to detection of night-time recharging operations. More specifically, an implantable hearing prosthesis comprises a rechargeable battery that is configured to be recharged via an external night-time charging device, such as a pillow charger. The implantable hearing prosthesis is configured to detect inductive charging of the rechargeable battery by the external night-time charging device. In response, the implantable hearing prosthesis is switched to a night-time mode of operation.

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for dynamically adjusting a user interface provided by an external unit of a hearing device. In an example method, the external unit determines whether a state of the external unit is one of (i) a coupled state when the external unit and the stimulation unit are coupled or (ii) a decoupled state when the external and the stimulation unit are decoupled. The external unit then provides one of (i) a first user interface when the determined state is the coupled state or (ii) a second user interface when the determined state is the decoupled state.

A hearing device includes: at least one microphone for converting sound received by the at least one microphone into an audio signal; a sound impulse detector configured for detecting a presence of an impulse in the audio signal; and a signal processor configured for processing the audio signal into a processed audio signal in response to the presence of the impulse in the audio signal as detected by the sound impulse detector; and a receiver coupled to the signal processor for converting the processed audio signal into an output sound signal for emission towards an eardrum of a user; wherein the sound impulse detector is configured for operation in a frequency domain for detecting presence of the impulse in the audio signal.

Embodiments of systems and methods for adaptive sound equalization in personal hearing devices are disclosed. In some embodiments a microphone in a personal hearing device receives sound from the listener's environment. The sound then is analyzed to determine one or more desired targets, for instance loudness level or spectral balance. The determined targets then are used to control adaptive processing of the sound received by the microphone to generate a perceptually improved sound to render to the listener.

Broadly speaking, the embodiments disclosed herein describe replacing a current hearing aid profile stored in a hearing aid. In one embodiment, the hearing aid profile is updated by sending a hearing aid profile update request to a hearing aid profile service, receiving the updated hearing aid profile from the hearing aid profile service, and replacing the current hearing aid profile in the hearing aid with the updated hearing aid profile.