Patent classifications
H04R25/405
System, device and method for assessing a fit quality of an earpiece
A system, device and method for assessing a fit quality of an earpiece while in use in a noisy environment. The earpiece having an external microphone for capturing an outer-ear audio signal and an internal microphone for capturing an inner-ear audio signal. The fit quality being assessed by estimating a filter according to the captured inner-ear and outer-ear audio signals, and determining a fit quality according to identified coefficients of the estimated filter. A system, device and method for assessing a seal quality of an earpiece while in use in a quiet environment. The earpiece having a loudspeaker for emitting a sound stimulus towards the ear canal and an internal microphone for capturing an audio signal inside the ear canal. The seal quality being assessed by estimating a transfer function according the emitted and captured sound stimulus, and determining at least one seal-quality indicator according to a signal magnitude of the transfer function.
Identifying information and associated individuals
A hearing aid system for individual identification of a hearing aid system may include a wearable camera, a microphone, and at least one processor. The processor may be programmed to receive a plurality of images captured by the wearable camera; receive audio signals representative of sounds captured by the microphone; and identify a first audio signal, from among the received audio signals, representative of a voice of a first individual. The processor may transcribe and store, in a memory, text corresponding to speech associated with the voice of the first individual and determine whether the first individual is a recognized individual. If the first individual is a recognized individual, the processor may associate an identifier of the first recognized individual with the stored text corresponding to the speech associated with the voice of the first individual.
HEARING DEVICE AND A HEARING SYSTEM COMPRISING A MULTITUDE OF ADAPTIVE TWO CHANNEL BEAMFORMERS
A binaural hearing system comprises first and second hearing aids, each comprising antenna and transceiver circuitry allowing the exchange of audio signals between them and a BTE-part adapted for being located at or behind the external ear (pinna) of the user and comprising front and rear input transducers providing respective front and rear electric input signals. Each of the hearing aids comprises primary and secondary adaptive 2-channel beamformers each providing a spatially filtered signal based on first and second beamformer-input signals. The primary and secondary 2-channel beamformers are coupled in a cascaded structure. The inputs to the primary 2-channel beamformers are, locally generated, front and rear electric input signals. The inputs to the secondary 2-channel beamformer may be beamformed signals from the first and second hearing aids respectively. The spatially filtered signal of the secondary 2-channel beamformer may comprise an estimate of a target signal in the environment of the user.
Hearing aid comprising a noise reduction system
A hearing aid comprises a) a multitude of M input transducers each providing an electric input signal representative of environment sound in a time-frequency representation (k, l), and each comprise varying amounts of target (s) and noise (v) signal components; b) a signal processor configured to process said multitude of electric input signals; and comprising a beamformer filter configured to receive said multitude M of electric input signals and to provide a spatially filtered signal and a post-filter configured to receive said spatially filtered signal and to provide an estimate Ŝ(k,l) of a target signal representing said target signal components from said target sound source. The signal processor is configured to provide estimates of power spectral densities λ.sub.s(k,l) of said target signal components in dependence of inter-frequency bin relationships between the spectral components enforced by properties of the electric input signals across at least some of said frequency bins.
ADJUSTING AN AUDIO TRANSMISSION WHEN A USER IS BEING SPOKEN TO BY ANOTHER PERSON
A method for adjusting an audio transmission when a user of the system is being spoken to by another person includes receiving audio signals representative of sounds from an environment of the user captured by at least one microphone; determining at least from the received audio signals that the another person is speaking to user; and subject to the user being spoken to by the another person, adjusting the audio transmission to the user and signaling to the user that the user is being spoken to.
Remote microphone devices for auditory prostheses
Presented herein are techniques for adapting settings/operations of a remote microphone device associated with an auditory prosthesis based on a desired/preferred listening direction of a recipient of the auditory prosthesis. More specifically, an auditory prosthesis worn by a recipient and a remote microphone device, which are configured to wirelessly communicate with one another, are both positioned in the same spatial area. At least one of a recipient-specified (e.g., recipient-preferred) region of interest within the spatial area, or a recipient-specified listening direction, is determined. Based on a determined relative positioning (e.g., location and orientation) of the remote microphone device and the auditory prosthesis, operation of the remote microphone device is dynamically adapted so that the remote microphone device can focus on (e.g., have increased sensitivity to) sounds originating from the recipient-specified region of interest/listening direction.
HEARING DEVICE WITH END-TO-END NEURAL NETWORK
A hearing device is disclosed, comprising a main microphone, M auxiliary microphones, a transform circuit, a processor, a memory and a post-processing circuit. The transform circuit transforms first sample values in current frames of a main audio signal and M auxiliary audio signals from the microphones into a main and M auxiliary spectral representations. The memory includes instructions to be executed by the processor to perform operations comprising: performing ANC over the first sample values using an end-to-end neural network to generate second sample values; and, performing audio signal processing over the main and the M auxiliary spectral representations using the end-to-end neural network to generate a compensation mask. The post-processing circuit modifies the main spectral representation with the compensation mask to generate a compensated spectral representation, and generates an output audio signal according to the second sample values and the compensated spectral representation.
Hearing aid system containing at least one hearing aid instrument worn on the user's head, and method for operating such a hearing aid system
A hearing aid system assists a user's ability to hear. The system has a hearing aid instrument worn on the user's head. A sound signal from the user's surroundings is recorded and converted into input audio signals by two input transducers. The input audio signals are processed in a signal processing step for generating an output audio signal, which is output by an output transducer. The input audio signals or audio signals derived therefrom by pre-processing are direction-dependently damped by an adaptive beamformer according to the stipulation of a variable directivity with a directional strength to generate a directed audio signal. The directivity is varied with a specified adaptation speed such that the energy content of the directed audio signal is minimized. The adaptation speed and/or the directional strength are variably set on a basis of an analysis of the input audio signals or of the pre-processed audio signals.
Hearing enhancement methods and systems
Different embodiments on hearing enhancement enhancing a user's hearing. For example, a system can include an interface unit with a directional speaker and a microphone. The microphone captures input audio signals that are transformed into ultrasonic signals. The speaker transmits the ultrasonic signals, which are transformed into output audio signals by interaction with air. At least part of the output audio signals is modified to enhance the hearing of the user. Based on the system, the user's ear remains free from any inserted objects and thus is free from annoying occlusion effects. Compared to existing hearing aids, the system is relatively inexpensive. In another embodiment, the system can also be used as a phone. In another embodiment, the system can also access audio signals from other portable or non-portable instruments, wired or wirelessly, such as from home entertainment units, phones, microphones at a conference or speakers at a movie theater.
Microphone unit having a pressurized chamber
Disclosed examples generally include methods and apparatuses related to microphone units, such as may be found in implantable medical devices (e.g., cochlear implants). Microphone units generally include a microphone element connected to a chamber having a concave floor with the chamber covered by a membrane. Microphone units can be configured to produce an output based on pressure waves (e.g., sound waves) that reach the membrane. In an example, a microphone unit has a pressurized gas within the chamber below the membrane such that, while in a static state, the membrane deflects away from the chamber floor.