Patent classifications
H04R25/552
Systems and methods for coordinating rendering of a remote audio stream by binaural hearing devices
A binaural hearing system includes first and second hearing devices communicatively coupled by way of a binaural communication link. The first hearing device determines that a signal quality measure of a wireless signal transmitted by the remote audio source is greater than an upper threshold level. In response, both hearing devices enter a wireless audio rendering mode in which they render a remote audio stream from the remote audio source to a user. While operating in the wireless audio rendering mode, both hearing devices determine that a signal quality measure of the remote audio stream drops below a lower threshold level. In response to this determination, both hearing devices exit the wireless audio rendering mode.
HEARING SYSTEM COMPRISING A DATABASE OF ACOUSTIC TRANSFER FUNCTIONS
A hearing system comprises a) a multitude of M of microphones providing M corresponding electric input signals x.sub.m(n), m=1, ..., M, and n representing time, b) a processor connected to said multitude of microphones and providing a processed signal in dependence thereof, c) an output unit for providing an output signal in dependence of said processed signal, and d) a database (Θ) comprising a dictionary (Δ.sub.pd) of previously determined acoustic transfer function vectors (ATF.sub.pd). The processor is configured A) to determine a constrained estimate of a acoustic transfer function vector (ATF.sub.pd,.sub.cur) in dependence of said M electric input signals and said dictionary (Δ.sub.pd), B) to determine an unconstrained estimate of a current acoustic transfer function vector (ATF.sub.uc,.sub.cur) in dependence of said M electric input signals, and C) to determine a resulting acoustic transfer function vector (ATF*) for a user of the hearing system in dependence thereof and of a confidence measure related to said electric input signals. A method of operating a hearing device is also disclosed. Thereby an improved noise reduction system for a hearing aid or headset may be provided.
SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR FITTING HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES
Embodiments herein relate to systems, devices and methods for fitting hearing assistance devices. In a first aspect, a method of fitting a hearing assistance device is included, the method including providing an audio sample to a hearing assistance device wearer, receiving input from the hearing assistance device wearer regarding a preferred sound volume or perceived loudness, receiving input from the hearing assistance device wearer with the external device regarding a bass/treble balance, and determining a maximum power output of the hearing assistance device that does not exceed a loudness discomfort level (LDL). Other embodiments are also included herein.
STEREO RECEPTION OF AUDIO STREAMS IN SINGLE ENDPOINT WIRELESS SYSTEMS
Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for obtaining stereo reception of an audio stream by multiple audio devices when only a single endpoint is the intended recipient. A system includes a first audio device and one or more second audio devices. The first audio device receives a first signal from a central device via a first wireless connection, transfers to the one or more second audio devices via a second wireless connection a second signal to enable the one or more second audio devices to eavesdrop on the first wireless connection, receives the incoming audio packet via the first wireless connection, and sends the incoming audio packet to the one or more second audio devices via the second wireless connection. The one or more second audio devices receives the incoming audio packet using the second wireless connection or by eavesdropping on the first wireless connection.
ERROR CORRECTION OVERWRITE FOR AUDIO ARTIFACT REDUCTION
Audio communication methods, devices, and systems, are provided with error correction overwrite for audio artifact reduction. One illustrative low-latency audio streaming method includes: receiving packets of digital audio data; applying an error correction code decoder to obtain a data stream that includes error-corrected data samples; providing a correction-limited data stream by replacing any of the error-corrected data samples that are outliers; and converting the correction-limited data stream into an audio signal.
HEARING DEVICE WITH OMNIDIRECTIONAL SENSITIVITY
A method performed by a first hearing device comprising microphone(s) configured to generate a first input signal, a communication unit configured to receive a second input signal from a second hearing device, an output unit, and a processor, the method comprising: generating a first intermediate signal including or based on a first weighted combination of the first input signal and the second input signal, wherein the first weighted combination is based on a first gain value and/or a second gain value; and generating an output signal for the output unit based on the first intermediate signal; wherein one or both of the first gain value and the second gain value are determined in accordance with an objective of making a power of the first input signal and a power of the second input signal differ by a preset power level difference greater than 2 dB in the weighted combination.
Hearing device comprising a speech presence probability estimator
A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, comprises a) a multitude of input units, each providing an electric input signal representing sound in the environment of the user in a time-frequency representation, wherein the sound is a mixture of speech and additive noise or other distortions, e.g. reverberation, b) a multitude of beamformer filtering units, each being configured to receive at least two, e.g. all, of said multitude of electric input signals, each of said multitude of beamformer filtering units being configured to provide a beamformed signal representative of the sound in a different one of a multitude of spatial segments, e.g. spatial cells, around the user, c) a multitude of speech probability estimators each configured to receive the beamformed signal for a particular spatial segment and to estimate a probability that said particular spatial segment contains speech at a given point in time and frequency, wherein at least one, e.g. all, of the multitude of speech probability estimators is/are implemented as a trained neural network, e.g. a deep neural network. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing aids or communication devices, such as headsets, or telephones, or speaker phones.
AUDIO DEVICES AND METHODS OF OPERATING AN AUDIO DEVICE
An audio device includes a first earbud and a second earbud, each of which is configured to establish respective first and second wireless links with an audio source, and receive, from the audio source, audio information over the respective first and second wireless links. The first earbud and the second earbud are further configured to communicate with one another over a third wireless link. At least one of the first earbud and the second earbud includes a measurement circuit configured to measure respective signal strengths of the first, second and third wireless links, a computation circuit configured to compute a difference in signal strengths of the first and second wireless links, and a determination circuit configured to determine an operating environment of the audio device based on the computed difference and further based on the signal strength of the third wireless link.
CROS HYBRID BINAURAL HEARING AID SYSTEM
The present application discloses systems and methods for determining one or more configuration settings for a first hearing prosthesis based on configuration data associated with a second hearing prosthesis. In some embodiments, determining the one or more configuration settings for the first hearing prosthesis may include determining an acoustic operating range associated with the first hearing prosthesis based on whether a configured gain at one or more frequencies for the second hearing prosthesis meets or exceeds a target gain at the one or more frequencies. Some embodiments may also include storing the determined configuration settings in a tangible computer readable memory associated with the first hearing prosthesis.
A 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.