H04R25/552

Methods for obtaining and reproducing a binaural recording

In one aspect, a method for providing a binaural recording to a listener with a head applied in a hearing system, whereas the binaural recording is listened to using a hearing device and whereas the binaural recording consists of a left binaural ear signal intended for a left ear of the listener, and a right binaural ear signal intended for a right ear of the listener, comprises determining a head orientation, determining a source direction of the binaural recording with respect to the head orientation, detecting a change of the head orientation to a new head orientation, adapting the binaural recording considering the source direction of the binaural recording and the new head orientation.

Hearing device comprising a keyword detector and an own voice detector and/or a transmitter

A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, is configured to be arranged at least partly on a user's head or at least partly implanted in a user's head. The hearing device comprises a) at least one input transducer for picking up an input sound signal from the environment and providing at least one electric input signal representing said input sound signal; b) a signal processor providing a processed signal based on one or more of said at least one electric input signals; c) an output unit for converting said processed signal or a signal originating therefrom to stimuli perceivable by said user as sound; d) a keyword spotting system comprising d1) a keyword detector configured to detect a limited number of predefined keywords or phrases or sounds in said at least one electric input signal or in a signal derived therefrom, and to provide a keyword indicator of whether or not, or with what probability, said keywords or phrases or sounds are detected, and d2) an own voice detector for providing an own voice indicator estimating whether or not, or with what probability, a given input sound signal originates from the voice of the user of the hearing device. The hearing device further comprises e) a controller configured to provide an own-voice-keyword indicator of whether or not or with what probability a given one of said keywords or phrases or sounds is currently detected and spoken by said user, said own-voice-keyword indicator being dependent on said keyword indicator and said own voice indicator.

METHOD OF OPERATING A HEARING ASSISTIVE DEVICE HAVING A RECHARGEABLE BATTERY
20220417676 · 2022-12-29 · ·

A method of operating a hearing assistive device having a rechargeable battery, and comprises reading battery status data from a battery controller during use of the hearing assistive device, transferring the battery status data wirelessly from the hearing assistive device to a computing device and predicting, in the computing device, a remaining battery time for the rechargeable battery based upon the battery status data received. Once the remaining battery time is predicted, it is compared with a predefined use pattern for hearing assistive device and a user becomes notified if a conflict between the remaining battery time and the predefined use pattern is observed.

Contact hearing systems, apparatus and methods

The present invention is directed to a hearing aid which includes a lateral ear canal assembly and a medial ear canal assembly. In embodiments of the invention the medial ear canal assembly may include smart circuitry adapted to control parameters and outputs of the medial ear canal assembly. In embodiments of the invention various methods and circuitry are described, wherein the methods and circuitry are adapted to improve the performance and efficiency of the hearing aid.

Hearing aid including induction coil
11540064 · 2022-12-27 · ·

There is presented a hearing aid configured to be arranged at least partly in the ear canal of a specific person, the hearing aid comprising a faceplate, a custom ear shell, adapted to fit or match with the ear canal of a specific person, the custom ear shell connected to the faceplate, a rechargeable battery, an induction coil for wireless charging of the rechargeable battery, wherein the induction coil is fixed to the ear shell and furthermore a method for providing a hearing aid, said method comprising obtaining data representative of a shape and/or size of an ear canal of a specific person, establishing a digital model of the custom shell of the hearing aid for said ear canal based on said data, wherein said providing includes determining a position and/or orientation of an induction coil in an inner space of said ear shell, which position and/or orientation increases or maximizes a distance from the outer ear to the faceplate.

Method and system for streaming a multichannel audio signal to a binaural hearing system
20220408202 · 2022-12-22 ·

There is provided a method for streaming a multichannel audio signal comprising a first channel (L) and a second channel (R) from an audio source device to a binaural hearing system comprising a first hearing device worn at first ear of a user and a second hearing device worn at a second ear of the user.

Cochlear hearing device with cable antenna
11510021 · 2022-11-22 · ·

A hearing aid device comprising a behind-the-ear part, an at-the-head part, a coupling element, a second antenna, and a wireless interface is disclosed. The behind-the-ear part is adapted for being arranged at an ear of a user and for providing a low frequency signal comprising audio. The at-the-head part is adapted for being arranged at the head of the user. The at-the-head part includes a first antenna adapted to communicate with an implant part comprising at least one cochlear electrode adapted for being arranged in the cochlea in proximity of an auditory nerve of the user. The coupling element couples the behind-the-ear part and the at-the-head part and is adapted for transmitting the low frequency signal comprising audio to the at-the-head part. The second antenna is adapted for communicating at high frequency with an external unit. The wireless interface is adapted for receiving and/or sending data via the second antenna. The at-the-head part is adapted for providing the low frequency signal comprising audio to the at least one cochlear electrode. The at least one cochlear electrode is adapted for converting the low frequency signal comprising audio to an output signal perceivable by a user as sound. The coupling element comprises an electrically conducting element coupled to the wireless interface. The electrically conducting element is at least a part of the second antenna and adapted for transferring the signal comprising audio at a low frequency from the behind-the-ear part to the at-the-head part and for transmitting and/or receiving high frequency signals via the second antenna.

System and method for efficiency among devices
11595762 · 2023-02-28 · ·

A wearable multifunction device or earpiece or a pair of earpieces includes one or more processors, at least one microphone coupled to the one or more processors, a biometric sensor coupled to the one or more processors, and a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory having computer instructions causing the one or more processors to perform the operations of sensing a remaining battery life and based on the sensing, prioritizing one or more of the functions of always on recording, biometric measuring, biometric recording, sound pressure level measuring, voice activity detection, key word detection, key word analysis, personal audio assistant functions, transmission of data to a tethered phone, transmission of data to a server, transmission of data to a cloud device.

Hearing aid system for estimating acoustic transfer functions

A hearing aid system comprises a hearing aid, and a portable auxiliary device' adapted to establish a communication link between them. The hearing aid comprises a microphone providing an electric input signal, a signal processor, and an output unit. The auxiliary device comprises a microphone providing an auxiliary electric input signal, and a user control interface allowing a user to initiate a specific calibration mode of operation of the hearing aid system. The signal processor of the hearing aid is configured to receive corresponding time segments of said electric input signal and said auxiliary electric input signal to provide an estimate of an acoustic transfer function from said microphone of said auxiliary device to said microphone of said hearing aid. A method of operating a hearing aid system is further disclosed. The invention may e.g. be used in various applications related to own voice detection and estimation.

Partial HRTF compensation or prediction for in-ear microphone arrays

In some embodiments, an ear-mounted sound reproduction system is provided. The system includes an ear-mountable housing that sits within the pinna of the ear and occludes the ear canal. In some embodiments, the ear-mountable housing includes a plurality of external-facing microphones. Because the external-facing microphones may be situated within the pinna of the ear but outside of the ear canal, the microphones will experience some, but not all, of the three-dimensional acoustic effects of the pinna. In some embodiments, sound is reproduced by an internal-facing driver element of the housing using a plurality of filters applied to the signals received by the plurality of external-facing microphones to preserve three-dimensional localization cues that would be present at the eardrum in the absence of the housing, such that the housing is essentially transparent to the user. In some embodiments, techniques are provided for deriving the plurality of filters.