In general, in one aspect, a hearing aid has an ANR circuit and an ear tip that acoustically occludes the ear. Such a hearing aid provides greater gain to sounds than would be stable in the same hearing aid with a vented ear tip. The ear tip and the ANR circuit in combination attenuate sounds reaching the ear canal through the hearing aid to a first level. The hearing aid detects sounds arriving at a microphone, amplifies those sounds, and provides the amplified sounds to the ear canal at a second level and later in time than the same sounds arrive at the ear canal through the ear tip. The first level is at least 14 dB greater than the second level, such that the amplified sounds do not interact with the passive sounds to result in spectral combing.

Methods, systems, and devices for signal processing are described. Generally, as provided for by the described techniques, a wearable device to receive an input audio signal from one or more outer microphones, an input audio signal from one or more inner microphones, and a bone conduction signal from a bone conduction sensor based on the input audio signals. The wearable device may filter the bone conduction signal based on a set of frequencies of the input audio signals, such as a low frequency portion of the input audio signals. For example, the wearable device may apply a filter to the bone conduction signal that accounts for an error in the input audio signals. The wearable device may add a gain to the filtered bone conduction signal and may equalize the filtered bone conduction signal based on the gain. The wearable device may output an audio signal to a speaker.

Embodiments herein relate to assistive listening devices and systems for providing audio streams to device wearers within sound fields. In an embodiment an assistive listening device is included having a control circuit, an electroacoustic transducer for generating sound in electrical communication with the control circuit, a power supply circuit in electrical communication with the control circuit, and a communications circuit in electrical communication with the control circuit. The control circuit can be configured to issue a communication to an audio communication device or audio provisioning device including at least one of a language preference, a set of hearing requirements, data regarding a presentation delay, and an authorization status identifier, digital code, digital token, or digital key specific to a wearer of the assistive listening device. Other embodiments are also included herein.

An earpiece includes: a first end; a second end opposite from the first end; a first channel extending from a first location that is closer to the first end than to the second end, to a second location that is closer to the second end than to the first end; and a first diaphragm, wherein the first diaphragm has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface of the diaphragm configured to be in fluid communication with a lumen in the first channel, wherein the first diaphragm extends in a direction that is parallel to, or that forms an acute angle with, a longitudinal axis of the first channel.

Earpieces and methods for acute sound detection and reproduction are provided. A method can include measuring an external ambient sound level (xASL), monitoring a change in the xASL for detecting an acute sound, estimating a proximity of the acute sound, and upon detecting the acute sound and its proximity, reproducing the acute sound within an ear canal, where the ear canal is at least partially occluded by an earpiece. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A hearing device may include a housing configured to be at least partially inserted into an ear canal of a user and comprising a venting channel, wherein the venting channel is configured to provide for venting between an inner region of the ear canal and an ambient environment outside the ear canal through the venting channel; an acoustic valve comprising a valve member moveable relative to the venting channel between different positions; a sound detector configured to provide an audio signal representative of a detected sound; a processor configured to determine a characteristic from the audio signal and to classify the audio signal by assigning the audio signal to a class from a plurality of predetermined classes depending on the determined characteristic; and an output transducer configured to be acoustically coupled to the inner region of the ear canal.

A hearing device configured to be worn at a head of a user. The hearing device includes a vibration sensor to detect a vibration conducted through the user's head to the hearing device and to output a vibration signal including information about the vibration. At least part of the vibration can be caused by an own voice activity of the user. A method of operating the hearing device allows a reliable own voice detection at rather low processing effort. The processor determines a presence of an own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at a vibration frequency associated with the own voice characteristic and identifies the own voice activity based on an identification criterion including the presence of the own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated vibration frequency. The own voice characteristic indicative of part of the vibration can be caused by the own voice activity.

A method for processing an audio signal, the method including: processing the audio signal according to a pair of mouth to ear transfer functions to obtain a processed audio signal; filtering the processed audio signal, using a pair of equalization filters, to obtain a filtered audio signal, where a parameter of the equalization filter is depends on an acoustic impedance of a headphone; and outputting the filtered audio signal to the headphone. Accordingly, this method counteracts the occlusion effect and to provides a natural perceived sound pressure.

A system, disposed within a wearable hearing device, includes a sound producing device (SPD) driven by a driving voltage, a first sound sensing device, and a subtraction circuit. The first sound sensing device is configured to sense a combined sound pressure produced at least by the SPD and generate a sensed signal accordingly. The subtraction circuit has a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and a first output terminal. The first input terminal is coupled to the first sound sensing device, and the first output terminal is coupled to the SPD. A first phase delay between the driving voltage and the sensed signal is less than 60°.

A system and method includes an audio device, such as an earbud or headphones, that includes one or more loudspeakers for outputting audio. The audio device further in includes one or more microphones that are positioned near an ear of a user. An acoustic barrier may be formed between a surface of the device and the ear of the user; properties of this barrier may, however, vary from user to user. The system determines these properties on a per-user basis and compensates for any differences therein.