A binaural sound reproduction system, and methods of using the binaural sound reproduction system to dynamically re-center a frame of reference for a virtual sound source, are described. The binaural sound reproduction system may include a reference device, e.g., a mobile device, having a reference sensor to provide reference orientation data corresponding to a direction of the reference device, and a head-mounted device, e.g., headphones, having a device sensor to provide device orientation data corresponding to a direction of the head-mounted device. The system may use the reference orientation data to determine whether the head-mounted device is being used in a static or dynamic use case, and may adjust an audio output to render the virtual sound source in an adjusted source direction based on the determined use case. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

A method of utilizing wireless earpieces for hub communications in embodiments of the present invention may have one or more of the following steps: (a) activating the wireless earpieces, (b) connecting one or more devices to the wireless earpieces, (c) performing first biometric measurements of the user utilizing the wireless earpieces, (d) receiving second biometric measurements from the one or more devices, (e) determining if the one or more devices is located on the same user as the wireless earpieces by comparing the second biometric measurements to the first biometric measurements, (f) receiving a communication to be sent through the wireless earpieces from the one or more devices, and (g) sending the communication to reach a receiving party in response to the determination the second biometric measurements are similar to the first biometric measurements.

A method for supporting a user of a hearing aid includes individually adapting the hearing aid to the user in a first fitting session held in particular in the home country of the user and generating adaptation data during the first fitting session. The adaptation data is assigned to the user or to the hearing aid and stored in such a way that access to the adaptation data is restricted by an access restriction. A visit to a foreign country is automatically detected and a request is issued to the user to ascertain whether the access restriction should be changed when a visit to a foreign country is automatically detected. A hearing aid and a computer program product for carrying out the method are also provided.

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.

Further improvement in usability is promoted. An information processing apparatus (10) includes: an acquisition unit (111) configured to acquire information regarding at least one candidate location; a generation unit (1122) configured to generate sound data for expressing a sense of distance from a current location of a user to the candidate location acquired by the acquisition unit (111) using a plurality of sound sources; and an output unit (113) configured to output the sound data generated by the generation unit (1122) to the plurality of sound sources.

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.

Disclosed embodiments may relate to systems and methods for monitoring and/or mapping noise data from a plurality of noise monitoring devices. In some embodiments, the plurality of noise monitoring devices may include hearing protection devices configured to detect noise, and typically may communicate such noise data (which may also include location) so that the noise data can be pooled. The pooled noise data from the plurality of noise monitoring devices may then be used to the benefit of one or more of such noise monitoring devices.

An earpiece includes an earpiece housing, a processor disposed within the earpiece, a speaker operatively connected to the processor, a microphone operatively connected the processor, and a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver disposed within the earpiece. A system may include a first earpiece having a connector with earpiece charging contacts, a charging case for the first earpiece, the charging case having contacts for connecting with the earpiece charging contacts, and a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver disposed within the charging case.

An apparatus comprising means for: obtaining an indication of a position of at least one user in real space; mapping the position of the user in real space to a position of the user in a sound space; and controlling an output audio signal, for rendering a sound scene via multiple audio channels, to provide rendering of a first sub-set of sound sources via at least a first sub-set of the multiple audio output channels and rendering a second sub-set of sound sources via at least a second sub-set of the multiple audio output channels, wherein an allocation of a plurality of sound sources to the first sub-set of sound sources or the second sub-set of sound sources is dependent upon at least a position of the user in the sound space; wherein an allocation of the multiple audio output channels to the first sub-set of the multiple audio output channels or the second sub-set of the multiple audio output channels is dependent upon available audio paths for the multiple audio output channels.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for earbud integration with property monitoring. In some implementations, data indicating sleep buds are in use by a user is received. Sensor data indicating an event at the property where the user is located is received. Alert preferences are obtained. A sleep bud alert is generated for the user based on the alert preferences, the event, and the data. The sleep bud alert is transmitted.