An in-ear device occludes an ear canal of an ear of a user. The in-ear device is configured to be calibrated such that the user perceives audio content as though the in-ear device is not occluding the ear canal. A transducer of the in-ear device presents audio content, and an inner microphone of the in-ear device detects sound pressure data within the ear canal. A controller of the in-ear device determines a blocked sound pressure at the entrance to the ear canal based on sound pressure data from an outer microphone. The controller generates sound filters custom to the user based in part on the detected sound pressure within the ear canal and the blocked sound pressure at the entrance to the ear canal. The controller adjusts audio content using the sound filter, and the transducer presents the adjusted audio content to the user.

A personalized sound management system for an acoustic space includes at least one transducer, a data communication system, one or more processors operatively coupled to the data communication system and the at least one transducer, and a medium coupled to the one or more processors. The processors access a database of sonic signatures and display a plurality of personalized sound management applications that perform at least one or more tasks among identifying a sonic signature, calculating a sound pressure level, storing metadata related to a sonic signature, monitoring sound pressure level dosage levels, switching to an ear canal microphone in a noisy environment, recording a user's voice, storing the user's voice in a memory of an earpiece device, or storing the user's voice in a memory of a server system, or converting received text received in texts or emails to voice using text to speech conversion. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A personalized sound management system for an acoustic space includes at least one transducer, a data communication system, one or more processors operatively coupled to the data communication system and the at least one transducer, and a medium coupled to the one or more processors. The processors access a database of sonic signatures and display a plurality of personalized sound management applications that perform at least one or more tasks among identifying a sonic signature, calculating a sound pressure level, storing metadata related to a sonic signature, monitoring sound pressure level dosage levels, switching to an ear canal microphone in a noisy environment, recording a user's voice, storing the user's voice in a memory of an earpiece device, or storing the user's voice in a memory of a server system, or converting received text received in texts or emails to voice using text to speech conversion. Other embodiments are disclosed.

The present invention provides a customizable ear insert for fitting within a user's outer ear or ear canal or both and methods therefor. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a customizable ear insert having: a body formed of photocurable polymer, the body having a first shape configured for insertion into the outer ear canal of a user; a light source, the light source positioned adjacent the body, and wherein the body can be cured into a second shape by application of light generated by the light source, the second shape snugly conforming to the interior surface of the user's outer ear or ear canal or both.

A method and device for detecting whether a headset is on ear. A probe signal is generated for acoustic playback from a speaker. A microphone signal from a microphone is received, the microphone signal comprising at least a portion of the probe signal as received at the microphone. The microphone signal is passed to a state estimator, to produce an estimate of at least one parameter of the portion of the probe signal contained in the microphone signal. The estimate of the at least one parameter is processed to determine whether the headset is on ear.

A system comprising an earpiece, the earpiece having a first end facing a tympanic membrane, and a second end facing toward a surrounding of a user when the earpiece is worn by the user, includes: a vent channel coupled to a first vent opening at the first end, and to a second vent opening at the second end, wherein the vent channel comprises a vent port; a closing element comprising a first magnetic member, the closing element configured to cause the vent port to be open, and to cause the vent port to be closed; an inductive member comprising a conductive material, the inductive member configured for inductive coupling with a second magnetic member, wherein the second magnetic member is configured for displacing the closing element by magnetic interaction with the first magnetic member; and a processor configured to obtain an electrical measurement value of the second magnetic member.

An atmospheric pressure adjustment apparatus is disclosed. The atmospheric pressure adjustment apparatus comprises: a speaker; a microphone; an earplug of which a main body is made of an elastic material so as to seal the external auditory meatus when the earplug is worn on the ear of a user, and which comprises an atmospheric pressure adjustment part penetrating the main body; and atmospheric pressure adjustment device for adjusting the fluid volume of the atmospheric pressure adjustment part; and a processor for outputting a sound through the speaker when the earplug is worn, measuring the air pressure difference between the middle ear internal atmospheric pressure and the external auditory meatus atmospheric pressure of the user on the basis of the strength of a received echo when the echo of the sound reflected from the eardrum of the user is received through the microphone, and adjusting the atmospheric pressure difference by moving the atmospheric pressure adjustment device according to the measured atmospheric pressure difference.

A hearing aid comprises a forward path comprising an input transducer an electric input signals representing a sound comprising target signal components and background noise, a hearing aid processor for providing a processed signal in dependence of said at least one electric input signal and for providing a processed output signal in dependence thereof, and an output transducer for providing stimuli perceivable as sound to the user in dependence of said processed signal. The forward path provides a frequency dependent intended forward path transfer function. The hearing aid further comprises a feedback path estimator configured to provide a current frequency dependent estimate of a feedback path transfer function of a feedback path from the output transducer to the input transducer, and a current feedback path estimate in dependence of the current estimate of the feedback path transfer function and of the processed signal, and a combination unit in the forward path configured to subtract the current feedback path estimate from a signal of the forward path to provide a feedback corrected signal. The hearing aid may further comprise a noise estimator configured to provide a current frequency dependent noise estimate representing a background noise level in the at least one electric input signal, an open loop transfer function estimator configured to provide a frequency dependent estimate of a current open loop transfer function in dependence of the intended forward path transfer function and the current estimate of the feedback transfer function, and a confidence level estimator configured to provide a current frequency dependent estimate of a confidence level of the current estimate of the feedback transfer function in dependence of a current estimate of open loop gain and optionally the current noise estimate. The hearing aid may be configured to control processing in the hearing aid in a frequency band k in dependence of said current estimate of the open loop transfer function and/or the current estimate of the feedback path transfer function, if the current estimate of the confidence level fulfils a confidence criterion in said frequency band k. A method of operating a hearing aid is further disclosed. The invention may e.g. be used to assess a risk of acoustic feedback in a hearing aid.

Occlusion divices, earpiece devices and metods of forming occlusion devices are provided. An occlusion device is configured to occlude an ear canal. The occlusion device includes an insertion element and at least one expandalde element disposed on the insertion element. The expandable element is configured to receive a medium via the insertion element and is configured to expand, responsive to the medium, to contact the ear canal. Physical parameters of the occlusion device are selected to produce a predetermined sound attenuation characteristic over a frequency band, such that sound is attenuated more in a first frequency range of the frequency band than in a second frequency range of the frequency band.

Occlusion devices, earpiece devices and methods of forming occlusion devices are provided. An occlusion device is configured to occlude an ear canal. The occlusion device includes an insertion element and at least one expandable element disposed on the insertion element. The expandable element is configured to receive a medium via the insertion element and is configured to expand, responsive to the medium, to contact the ear canal. Physical parameters of the occlusion device are selected to produce a predetermined sound attenuation characteristic over a frequency band, such that sound is attenuated more in a first frequency range of the frequency band than in a second frequency range of the frequency band.