A method of providing an alert for a user by a hearing device configured to be worn at an ear of the user includes providing user-related data including information about at least one of the user, an ambient environment of the user, or a property of the hearing device worn by the user; characterized by providing vehicle-related data associated with at least one vehicle in a vicinity of the user, the vehicle-related data including information about a property of the vehicle; determining, based on the user-related data and the vehicle-related data, a relevance measure indicative of a probability that the user is endangered by the vehicle; and controlling an operation of the hearing device depending on the relevance measure, the operation alerting the user about the vehicle.

A system includes a mobile device that receives an audio signal from a microphone of the mobile device. The mobile device processes the audio signal via a neural network to obtain a speech-enhanced audio signal. The system includes an ear-wearable device comprising a data interface operable to communicate with the external data interface of the mobile device. The ear-wearable device includes an audio processing path coupled to the data interface and is operable to receive the speech-enhanced audio signal and reproduce the speech-enhanced audio in an ear of a user.

A hearing device with online (real-time) intelligent performance management. The online management component of the hearing device learns a hearing device user's preferences for operation of the hearing device while the user is using the hearing device in every-day life. The online management component learns the user's preferences from the user's perception of the hearing device output in different listening environments and/or during different activities. The users perception include positive/satisfactory responses of the user to the output from the hearing device. The online management component builds up an individualized model for the user based upon the users perceptions whilst encountering different listening environments and/or engaging in different activities. The individualized model is used to control the hearing device to produce an acoustic output for the user.

An audio system includes a speaker and a processor. The processor determines a privacy setting for an audio signal. The privacy setting may be selected by a user. The privacy setting may indicate activation of a private mode, or may indicate a privacy level from a range of privacy levels. The processor determines an audio filter that adjusts the audio signal to mitigate sound leakage when presented by the speaker based on the privacy setting. The audio filter may include a low-pass filter and a multiband compressor. The parameters of the audio filter may vary based on the privacy setting. The processor applies the audio filter to the audio signal to generate a filtered audio signal and provides the filtered audio signal to the speaker.

The present invention regards a hearing aid device at least one environment sound input, a wireless sound input, an output transducer, electric circuitry, a transmitter unit, and a dedicated beamformer-noise-reduction-system. The hearing aid device is configured to be worn in or at an ear of a user. The at least one environment sound input is configured to receive sound and to generate electrical sound signals representing sound. The wireless sound input is configured to receive wireless sound signals. The output transducer is configured to stimulate hearing of the hearing aid device user. The transmitter unit is configured to transmit signals representing sound and/or voice. The dedicated beamformer-noise-reduction-system is configured to retrieve a user voice signal representing the voice of a user from the electrical sound signals. The wireless sound input is configured to be wirelessly connected to a communication device and to receive wireless sound signals from the communication device. The transmitter unit is configured to be wirelessly connected to the communication device and to transmit the user voice signal to the communication device.

Techniques for modifying sound based on a direction of interest include determining a direction of interest associated with a user; receiving a set of audio signals associated with the direction of interest; determining one or more salient frequency bands within the set of audio signals; in response to receiving a command from the user to enhance or suppress the set of audio signals, enhancing or suppressing a portion of the set of audio signals corresponding to the one or more salient frequency bands to create a modified set of audio signals; and outputting the modified set of audio signals.

A method for operating a binaural hearing device system having hearing devices assigned or to be assigned to left and right ears of a user and having microphones, includes capturing items of acoustic information using the hearing devices. The acoustic information items are evaluated for whether they contain music. It is ascertained whether two sources are detectable for the music. A spatial angle range, in which the respective source of the music is positioned, is ascertained with respect to a user viewing direction. If the respective spatial angle range of the two sources of the music is in a front half space relative to the viewing direction, a probability is increased that a situation of intentionally listening to music by the user is present. If a specified probability limiting value is exceeded, signal processing for the hearing devices is adapted with respect to the most natural possible music reproduction.

Presented herein are techniques for generating a hierarchical classification of a set of sound signals received at hearing prosthesis. The hierarchical classification includes a plurality of nested classifications of a sound environment associated with the set of sound signals received at hearing prosthesis, including a primary classification and one or more secondary classifications that each represent different characteristics of the sound environment. The primary classification represents a basic categorization of the sound environment, while the secondary classifications define sub-categories/refinements of the associated primary classification and/or other secondary classifications.

Presented herein are techniques for generating, updating, and/or using a virtual hearing model associated with a recipient of an auditory prosthesis. The virtual hearing model is generated and updated for the recipient based on psychoacoustics data associated with the recipient and, in certain cases, based on psychoacoustics data gathered from one or more selected populations of auditory prosthesis recipients. The recipient-specific virtual hearing model can be used, in real-time, to determine one or more settings for the auditory prosthesis.

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.