Embodiments of systems and methods are described for determining which of a plurality of beamformed audio signals to select for signal processing. In some embodiments, a plurality of audio input signals are received from a microphone array comprising a plurality of microphones. A plurality of beamformed audio signals are determined based on the plurality of input audio signals, the beamformed audio signals comprising a direction. A plurality of signal features may be determined for each beamformed audio signal. Smoothed features may be determined for each beamformed audio signal based on at least a portion of the plurality of signal features. The beamformed audio signal corresponding to the maximum smoothed feature may be selected for further processing.

A hearing aid comprises a resulting beam former (Y) for providing a resulting beamformed signal Y.sub.BF based on first and second electric input signals IN.sub.1 and IN.sub.2, first and second sets of complex frequency dependent weighting parameters W.sub.11(k), W.sub.12(k) and W.sub.21(k), W.sub.22(k), and a resulting complex, frequency dependent adaptation parameter β(k)•β(k) may be determined as <C.sub.2*•C.sub.1>/<(|C2|.sup.2>+c), where * denotes the complex conjugation and • denotes the statistical expectation operator, and c is a constant, and wherein said adaptive beam former filtering unit (BFU) comprises a smoothing unit for implementing said statistical expectation operator by smoothing the complex expression C.sub.2*•C.sub.1 and the real expression |C.sub.2>.sup.2 over time. Alternatively, β(k) may be determined from the following expression

[00001]$\beta =\frac{w_{C.Math..Math.1}^H.Math.C_v.Math.w_{C.Math..Math.2}}{w_{C.Math..Math.2}^H.Math.C_v.Math.w_{C.Math..Math.2}},$

where w.sub.C1 and w.sub.C2 are the beamformer weights representing the first (C.sub.1) and the second (C.sub.2) beamformers, respectively, C.sub.v is a noise covariance matrix, and H denotes Hermitian transposition. Corresponding methods of operating a hearing aid, and a hearing aid utilizing smoothing β(k) based on adaptive covariance smoothing are disclosed.

A hearing device includes: an input module for provision of a first input signal; a processor configured to provide an electrical output signal based on the first input signal; a receiver configured to provide an audio output signal; and a controller comprising a speech intelligibility estimator configured to determine a speech intelligibility indicator indicative of speech intelligibility based on the first input signal, wherein the controller is configured to control the processor based on the speech intelligibility indicator; wherein the speech intelligibility estimator comprises a decomposition module configured to decompose the first input signal into a first representation of the first input signal in a frequency domain, wherein the first representation comprises one or more elements representative of the first input signal; and wherein the decomposition module comprises one or more characterization blocks for characterizing the one or more elements of the first representation in the frequency domain.

A partner microphone unit comprising a) a multitude microphones for picking up a sound from the environment providing corresponding electric input signals, each comprising a target signal component and a noise signal component; b) a multi-input unit noise reduction system for providing an estimate Ŝ of the target sound s comprising the person's voice and comprising a multi-input beamformer filtering unit coupled to said input units and configured to determine filter weights for providing a beamformed signal, wherein signal components from other directions than a direction of the target signal source are attenuated, whereas signal components from the direction of the target signal source are left un-attenuated; c) antenna and transceiver circuitry for establishing an audio link to another device; and wherein the multi-input beamformer filtering unit comprises an adaptive beamformer is provided.

A hearing aid comprises a sensor configured for detecting a focus of an end user on a real sound source, a microphone assembly configured for converting sounds into electrical signals, a speaker configured for converting the electrical signals into sounds, and a control subsystem configured for modifying the direction and/or distance of a greatest sensitivity of the microphone assembly based on detected focus. A virtual image generation system comprises memory storing a three-dimensional scene, a sensor configured for detecting a focus of the end user on a sound source, a speaker configured for conveying sounds to the end user, and a control subsystem configured for causing the speaker to preferentially convey a sound originating from the sound source in response to detection of the focus, and for rendering image frames of the scene, and a display subsystem configured for sequentially displaying the image frames to the end user.

The application relates to a hearing aid comprising a forward path comprising a) a multitude of input units for providing a multitude of electric input signals IN.sub.i, i=1, . . . , M, representative of sound, b) a multi input beam former filtering unit for providing a beam formed signal Y.sub.BF from said multitude of electric input signals, c) a gain unit for applying a hearing aid gain G.sub.HA to said beam formed signal Y.sub.BF, and providing a processed signal, and d) an output unit for providing stimuli perceivable by a user as sound based on said processed signal or a signal derived therefrom. The hearing aid further comprises e) a gain control unit for limiting said hearing aid gain G.sub.HA to a modified full-on gain value G′.sub.FOG. The multi input beam former filtering unit is configured to apply a current frequency dependent directional gain G.sub.DIR,i to each of said multitude of electric input signals IN.sub.i, and the gain control unit is configured to determine the modified full-on gain value G′.sub.FOG in dependence of said current directional gains G.sub.DIR,i, i=1, . . . , M, and a previously determined full-on gain value G.sub.FOG. Thereby an improved hearing aid is provided. The invention may e.g. be used for hearing instruments, headsets, or active ear protection systems.

The invention relates to a hearing aid a cochlear implant comprising a) at least one input transducer for capturing incoming sound and for generating electric audio signals which represent frequency bands of the incoming sound, b) a sound processor which is configured to analyze and to process the electric audio signals, c) a transmitter that sends the processed electric audio signals, d) a receiver/stimulator, which receives the processed electric audio signals from the transmitter and converts the processed electric audio signals into electric pulses, e) an electrode array embedded in the cochlear comprising a number of electrodes for stimulating the cochlear nerve with said electric pulses, and f) a control unit configured to control the distribution of said electric pulses to the number of said electrodes. The control unit is configured to distribute said electric pulses to the number of said electrodes by applying one out of a plurality of different coding schemes, and wherein the applied coding scheme is selected according to characteristics of the incoming sound.

A system may include a camera configured to capture images from an environment of a user and a microphone configured to capture sounds from an environment of the user. The system may also include a processor programmed to: receive the images; identify a representation of a first individual and a representation of a second individual in the images; receive, from the microphone, a first audio signal associated with a voice of the first individual and a second audio signal associated with a voice of the second individual; detect an amplification criteria indicative of a voice amplification priority between the first individual and the second individual; selectively amplify the first audio signal relative to the second audio signal when the amplification criteria indicates that the first individual has voice amplification priority over the second individual; and cause transmission of the selectively amplified first audio signal to a hearing interface device.

A hearing aid comprises a) an input transducer; b) an output transducer; c) an input buffer connected to the input transducer configured to store audio data representing one or more time segments of an electric input signal; d) an own voice detector for providing an own voice control signal, and e) a combiner allowing to insert audio data from the input buffer in a forward audio signal path. The hearing aid further comprises f) an input controller configured to control storage of a time segment of the electric input signal in dependence of said own voice control signal; and g) an output controller configured to select audio data from said one or more time segments of the electric input signal currently stored in the input buffer for insertion in the forward path in dependence of an output control signal originating from the user.

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.