Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
381321000 | Wideband gain control | 52 |
20080292122 | HEARING AID AND METHOD OF COMPENSATION FOR DIRECT SOUND IN HEARING AIDS - A hearing aid comprises at least one microphone, a signal processing means and an output transducer, the signal processing means being adaptive to receive an input signal from the microphone, wherein the signal processing means is adapted to apply a hearing aid gain to the input signal to produce an output signal to be output by the output transducer, and wherein the signal processing means further comprises means for adjusting the hearing aid gain if the hearing aid gain would be below a direct transmission gain calculated for the hearing aid. | 11-27-2008 |
20080317268 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF NOISE REDUCTION IN A HEARING AID - A hearing aid ( | 12-25-2008 |
20100014695 | METHOD FOR BIAS COMPENSATION FOR CEPSTRO-TEMPORAL SMOOTHING OF SPECTRAL FILTER GAINS - A method for modification of a cepstro-temporally smoothed gain function of a gain function resulting in a bias compensated spectral gain function is provided. The cepstro-temporal smoothing increases the quality of an enhanced output signal, as it affects only spectral outliers caused by estimation errors, while the speech characteristics are well preserved. However, due to the cepstral transform, the temporal smoothing is done in the logarithmic domain rather than the linear domain, and hence results in a certain bias. Thus, the method for a general bias compensation for a cepstro-temporal smoothing of spectral filter gain functions that is only dependent on the lower limit of the spectral filter-gain function. | 01-21-2010 |
20100092018 | METHOD FOR OPERATING A HEARING DEVICE AS WELL AS A HEARING DEVICE - In order to switch between different hearing programs to adjust to a momentary acoustic scene, a method for adjusting a hearing device, in which one of several possible hearing programs can be selected in order to adjust to a momentary acoustic scene, the method comprising the steps of detecting a desired hearing program change, changing parameters (b | 04-15-2010 |
20100128912 | Logarithmic Compression Systems and Methods for Hearing Amplification - Embodiments of the invention provide an amplifier including a gain control circuit having a gain measurement circuit as part of a feedback loop. The gain measurement circuit generates an attenuated output signal, based on the gain of the amplifier circuit, which is used to generate a gain control signal. One amplifier includes a first attenuator enabling primary compression and a second attenuator as part of a gain measurement circuit. In some cases the attenuation factors of the first and second attenuators may be proportional or substantially the same. In some embodiments one or more output stages (e.g., differential amplifiers) are provided to generate the gain control signal based on differential combinations of an audio output, the attenuated output signal, and a primary threshold signal. A ratio of the gains of the two or more comparing amplifiers can set a primary compression ratio in some cases. | 05-27-2010 |
20100202642 | METHOD TO ESTIMATE THE SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL AT EARDRUM USING MEASUREMENTS AWAY FROM THE EARDRUM - A method for measuring sound pressure at a tympanic membrane of a wearer's ear including a high frequency range with a hearing assistance device. The hearing assistance device comprises a processor connected to a sensor in the ear canal. The device provides a measure of the sound pressure level at the tympanic membrane of the wearer using a null frequency and a null Q measured at a distant position away from the tympanic membrane. The method does not require a precise knowledge of the ear canal, nor does it require an elaborate calibration step. In various embodiments, the present approach works at low and high frequencies. | 08-12-2010 |
20100226517 | Behind-the-Ear Accessory Module for a Helix Hearing Instrument - The capabilities of a helix hearing instrument may expanded with a behind-the-ear accessory module. The module accommodates additional batteries and a variety of accessory functions including an external volume control. | 09-09-2010 |
20100266153 | ELECTRONICALLY COMPENSATED MICRO-SPEAKERS AND APPLICATIONS - Electronics for altering the audio frequency response of a micro-speaker without modifying the micro-speaker itself; the micro-speaker having a resonant peak region. In one embodiment the electronics includes a first circuit for flattening the frequency response curve up to the resonant peak region, and a second circuit for flattening the frequency response curve for audio frequencies higher than this region. Preferably, the extent of the flattened response over such range of frequencies is in the range of plus or minus 3 dB. The first circuit includes one of the group consisting of a high pass filter and a low pass filter, while the second circuit includes the other of this group. Each filter yields an integer multiple of 6 dB per octave slope. In another embodiment, for correcting hearing loss, a high pass filter is connected to the micro-speaker to progressively attenuate the frequency response curve as the frequency decreases. | 10-21-2010 |
20100303269 | FITTING PROCEDURE FOR HEARING DEVICES AND CORRESPONDING HEARING DEVICE - The method for adjusting a hearing device to the hearing preferences of a user of said hearing device comprises the steps of
| 12-02-2010 |
20110013793 | VOLUME ADJUSTER AND HEARING AID WITH VOLUME ADJUSTER - A manually-actuatable volume adjuster for a hearing aid and a hearing aid with the volume adjuster are user friendly, durable, hardly prone to errors, miniaturizable and energy-saving. The adjuster includes a manually-actuatable pushbutton switch and an infrared sensor for acquiring orientation and/or position of a manual movement carried out for the actuation. The infrared sensor is only activated while the pushbutton switch is actuated and/or during a restricted time period following that actuation. The hearing aid with the adjuster includes standard sensors as an infrared sensor and as a pushbutton switch. The infrared sensor permits construction of the adjuster without moveable mechanical actuating elements and avoids touch surfaces or contact surfaces susceptible to wear-and-tear. The increased energy consumption of an infrared sensor is counteracted by the functional combination with the pushbutton switch. The infrared sensor is only active when the pushbutton switch is actuated and is otherwise in idle mode. | 01-20-2011 |
20110013794 | METHOD FOR SOUND PROCESSING IN A HEARING AID AND A HEARING AID - A method for processing and controlling sound signals in a hearing aid is provided. The method comprises estimating a first ( | 01-20-2011 |
20110019848 | HEARING AID AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING VOLUME OF HEARING AID - A hearing aid ( | 01-27-2011 |
20110051964 | SELF-ADJUSTMENT OF A HEARING AID AND HEARING AID - The adjustment of the signal processing carried out by a hearing aid to the individual hearing loss of a user is intended to be simplified. For this purpose, a number of predefined adjustment programs, from which the user selects a suitable program by operating an operating element, are provided in the hearing aid. Neither a visit to a hearing aid acoustician nor special adjustment devices is/are required for adjustment. | 03-03-2011 |
20110075871 | Soft Concha Ring In-The-Ear Hearing Aid - A hearing aid has a suspension portion received in the wearer's concha bowl and an electronics portion. The suspension portion is formed of a flexible rubbery material, while the electronics portion includes a shell formed of a rigid plastic material. The suspension portion is provided as a ring having an annulus, and bears off a tragus contact area, an antitragus contact area and an antihelix contact area to support the receiver in a suspended, cantilevered position within the ear canal. The microphone can be within the flexible ring housing portion. The hearing aid makes much more comfortable contact with the concha bowl. | 03-31-2011 |
20110081033 | METHOD FOR ADJUSTING AN AUDIO TRANSDUCING PROCESSOR - An audio transducing processor can be adjusted under conditions based on the subjectivity of an actual wearer and can improve the wearer's comfort. A method for adjusting an audio transducing processor provided with a cochlear implant for augmenting audition by giving audio information as stimulus pulses to a cochlea of a wearer can comprise an audiometry step for finding an audible sound range of the wearer using frequency and sound pressure as variables, and adjusting the audio transducing processor on the basis of hearing acuity data obtained from the audiometry step. | 04-07-2011 |
20110091058 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IN-THE-EAR HEARING AID WITH CAPACITIVE SENSOR - Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for an in-the-ear hearing aid with a capacitive sensor. The present subject matter includes various approaches to improved control of an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid with capacitive sensors. In various embodiments, the capacitive sensor serves as a capacitive switch or a plurality of capacitive switches that can be used together to support or perform one or more functions. | 04-21-2011 |
20110091059 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BEHIND-THE-EAR HEARING AID WITH CAPACITIVE SENSOR - Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for a behind-the-ear hearing aid with a capacitive sensor. | 04-21-2011 |
20110135130 | METHOD FOR DESIGNING AUDIO SIGNAL PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR HEARING AID, AUDIO SIGNAL PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR HEARING AID, AND HEARING AID - A hearing aid tailored to a hard-of-hearing person is designed using sampled-data control theory. The method is for designing an audio signal processing system for a hearing aid, wherein the system comprises an AD converter for converting an analog audio input signal (y | 06-09-2011 |
20110142272 | HEARING ASSISTANCE SUITABILITY DETERMINING DEVICE, HEARING ASSISTANCE ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM, AND HEARING ASSISTANCE SUITABILITY DETERMINING METHOD - A hearing assistance suitability determining device ( | 06-16-2011 |
20110142273 | HEARING AID AND HEARING AID SYSTEM - A hearing aid that can reflect setting change of the hearing aid responsive to a sound environment by the user as intended, prevent the user from feeling inconvenience or displeasure caused by changing setting of the hearing aid, and enable the user to easily change the setting is provided. | 06-16-2011 |
20110188687 | SMALL HEARING AID - A hearing aid comprises a microelectromechanical systems microphone which receives inputs of external sound signals, converting the sound signals to analog signals, and outputting the analog signals; a hearing aid processor chip which converts the analog signals to digital signals, performs gain correction and digital signal processing to the digital signals, and converts the processed digital signals to analog signals; and a microelectromechanical system receiver which outputs the analog signals converted from the processed digital signals as sound signals, wherein the microelectromechanical system microphone is attached to a first surface of the hearing aid processor chip, and the microelectromechanical system receiver is attached to a second surface of the hearing aid processor chip, so that the microelectromechanical system microphone, the hearing aid processor chip, and the microelectromechanical system receiver are integrated as a single body. | 08-04-2011 |
20110216929 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OUTPUTTING SOUND IN MOBILE TERMINAL - An apparatus and method for outputting a sound with Hearing Aids Compatibility (HAC) in a mobile terminal. The sound output apparatus includes a modem chip including a first amplifier amplifying and transferring an electric signal to a switch, a switch that selectively connects an output line of the first amplifier to a receiver or a second amplifier, a second amplifier connected with the receiver and the switch and that amplifies and transfers an electric signal received from the first amplifier to the receiver when the switch connects the output line of the first amplifier to the second amplifier, and a receiver connected with the switch and the second amplifier and that converts and outputs an electric signal received from the first amplifier or the second amplifier into a sound. This allows for the stable transfer of a sound to hearing handicapped persons with HAC without distortion of the sound quality. | 09-08-2011 |
20110268301 | HEARING AID AND A METHOD OF DETECTING AND ATTENUATING TRANSIENTS - A hearing aid has means ( | 11-03-2011 |
20120155683 | Power Supply Voltage From Class D Amplifier - The present invention relates to a hearing aid comprising a receiver and signal processor circuitry operatively connected hereto. The signal processor circuitry comprises amplifying means (e.g., a Class D amplifier) adapted to generate a switched output voltage for driving the receiver of the hearing aid. Moreover, a power supply unit is included and is adapted to generate a DC output voltage from the switched output voltage. The present invention further relates to an associated method for generating a DC output voltage. | 06-21-2012 |
20120170780 | Amplification Circuit and Hearing Aid - Certain embodiments of the present technology provide improved amplification circuits and hearing aids that can utilize such amplification circuits. In an embodiment, for example, an amplification circuit includes: a first sub circuit configured to create a voltage drop when a supply voltage is above a first voltage; and a second sub circuit configured to create a reverse voltage drop when the supply voltage is below a second voltage, wherein the first and second sub circuits operate to maintain idling current within a range. Certain embodiments of the present technology also provide hearing aids that include removable dampers. | 07-05-2012 |
20120281863 | HEARING AID - The hearing aid of the present invention comprises a gain calculation section for calculating the gain for amplifying or compressing an input sound signal, a sound pressure calculation section for calculating an output sound pressure level from the input signal and the gain, a clock section for calculating exposure time by integrating the time intervals at which the output sound pressure level is generated, and an exposure time determination section for detecting whether or not the exposure time for every output sound pressure level has exceeded an allowable time. | 11-08-2012 |
20120300964 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO TEST HEARING ABILITY AND HEARING AID APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A method and apparatus to a hearing ability and a hearing aid using the same are described. The hearing aid outputs a sound to test a hearing ability of a user, to detect an electrical signal generated in a body of the user as a result of the output sound, amplifies the electrical signal detected by an electrode unit, and to determine an amplification ratio of a surrounding sound detected by the hearing aid based on characteristics of peaks of waveforms of the amplified signal. | 11-29-2012 |
20120314892 | HEARING APPARATUS HAVING A SENSOR UNIT AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE HEARING APPARATUS - A hearing apparatus has an input converter for converting an input signal into an electrical signal, an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal and an output converter for converting the amplified electrical signal into an output signal, and a battery compartment, into which a battery for supplying electrical energy at least to the amplifier can be introduced. The hearing apparatus further has a sensor unit, which is embodied to detect a position of the battery compartment in a contactless fashion and to output signals as a function thereof, by which the hearing apparatus can be switched on or off. | 12-13-2012 |
20130089228 | AUDIO PROCESSING COMPRESSION SYSTEM USING LEVEL-DEPENDENT CHANNELS - Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for a level-dependent compression system for hearing assistance devices, such as hearing aids. The present subject matter includes a hearing assistance device having a buffer for receiving time domain input signals and a frequency analysis module to convert time domain input signals into a plurality of subband signals. A power detector is adapted to receive the subband signals and to provide a subband version of the input signals. A nonlinear gain stage applies gain to the plurality of subband versions of the input signals, and a frequency synthesis module processes subband signals from the nonlinear gain stage and to create a processed output signal. The device also includes a filter for filtering the signals, and a level-dependent compression module. The level-dependent compression module is adapted to provide bandwidth control to the plurality of subband signals produced by the frequency analysis stage. | 04-11-2013 |
20130121517 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADDING AUDIBLE NOISE WITH TIME VARYING VOLUME TO AUDIO DEVICES - A method and apparatus for adding audible noise with time varying volume to audio devices are disclosed which makes the time varying volume envelope of the added audible noise proportional to the time varying volume envelope of sound for frequencies where an individual has a restricted range of perception. The method and apparatus are used to improve the audibility, speech intelligibility, and word recognition characteristics in audio devices. | 05-16-2013 |
20130182876 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING HEARING ASSISTANCE TO A USER - A method for providing hearing assistance to a user by capturing input audio signals; estimating a speech level of the input audio signals and an ambient noise level of the input audio signals; applying a gain model to the input audio signals to transform the input audio signals into filtered audio signals, wherein, for a each ambient noise level, the gain varies as a function of the speech level and wherein the function varies according to the ambient noise level changing the ratio of the gain at low speech levels and at high speech levels as a function of the ambient noise level; wirelessly transmitting the filtered audio signals to a receiver unit forming or being connected to a user hearing stimulator, the stimulator being worn at or in the user's ear; and stimulating the user's hearing by the stimulator according to audio signals supplied by the receiver unit. | 07-18-2013 |
20130195302 | HEARING AID AND A METHOD OF ENHANCING SPEECH REPRODUCTION - A hearing aid ( | 08-01-2013 |
20130208934 | Method for Matching a Hearing Apparatus By Percentile Analysis and Matching Apparatus - High-quality adjustment of a hearing apparatus, and in particular of a hearing aid, is accelerated. In the adjusting method, a percentile analysis is carried out in order to obtain at least one frequency response of the hearing apparatus. Any discrepancy between the frequency response and an intended gain characteristic is determined. The setting of the hearing apparatus is then changed, such that the discrepancy is reduced. In order to check the effect of the setting change, a current frequency response after variation of the setting is determined by providing a constant noise signal or a single sinusoidal sweep at the input of the hearing apparatus and level measurement at the output. This frequency response measurement can be carried out as a second step considerably more quickly than the very precise percentile analysis at the start of the process. | 08-15-2013 |
20130230198 | AMPLIFICATION OF A SPEECH SIGNAL IN DEPENDENCE ON THE INPUT LEVEL - Hearing apparatuses, in particular hearing aids, have improved intelligibility. This is accomplished by a method for amplifying a speech signal for a hearing apparatus by detection of an input sound, determining an input level of the input sound and amplification of the input sound. A mean input level of the input sound is determined and it is established whether the input sound has a speech component. If not, the input signal is amplified in dependence on the input level in accordance with a predefined first amplification characteristic. However, if a speech component is found, the input signal is amplified in dependence on the input level in accordance with a predefined second amplification characteristic. The second amplification characteristic is formed in dependence on the mean input level such that amplification is increased with respect to first amplification characteristic in a predefined level interval below the mean input level. | 09-05-2013 |
20130266166 | METHOD FOR RESTRICTING THE OUTPUT LEVEL IN HEARING APPARATUSES - Psychoacoustic boundary conditions are to be better taken into account in the amplification of input signals of a hearing apparatus. To this end, a channel-specific compression characteristic curve is predetermined in a number of spectrally-separated processing channels of the hearing apparatus, which defines a relationship between an input level and an output level in the respective processing channel of the hearing apparatus. A respective input signal portion is amplified in each processing channel as a function of a channel-specific operating compression characteristic curve. A channel-specific input level threshold is predefined here for each processing channel. Finally, the respective channel-specific operating compression characteristic curve is then defined according to the predetermined channel-specific compression characteristic curve below the channel-specific input level threshold and the respective curve of the channel-specific operating compression characteristic curve is defined with a compression ratio of greater than 8 above the channel-specific input level threshold. | 10-10-2013 |
20130287238 | SOI ANALOGIC FRONT CIRCUIT FOR MEDICAL DEVICE - The present disclosure provides an SOI analog front circuit for a medical device, characterized in that it comprises an automatic gain control loop and a 2-order-3-bit-quantization Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter, wherein: the automatic gain control loop is configured to implement automatic control of loop gain and output an analog signal to the 2-order-3-bit-quantization Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter; and the 2-order-3-bit-quantization Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter is configured to convert the analog signal output from the automatic gain control loop into a digital code and output the digital code to a DSP for processing. The analog front circuit for the medical hearing aid device may be implemented by integration of three comparators, an analog-digital hybrid automatic gain control loop and a 2-order-3-bit-quantization Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter on a single chip using SOI process with high reliability and low power consumption. The analog front circuit has high accuracy, high reliability, and low power consumption. The analog front circuit may be applied in the medical hearing aid device. | 10-31-2013 |
20130308807 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING ENERGY IN A HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE - The disclosure relates to the use of a MEMS magnetometer or an array of MEMS magnetometers as energy harvesting sensor(s) in a hearing assistance device. The MEMS magnetometer(s) can be located within the existing geometry of a typical balanced-armature receiver currently used in hearing assistance devices. | 11-21-2013 |
20140044291 | BINAURALLY COORDINATED COMPRESSION SYSTEM - A hearing assistance system includes a pair of hearing aids performing dynamic range compression while preserving spatial cue to provide a hearing aid wearer with satisfactory listening experience in complex listening environments. In various embodiments, the dynamic range compression is binaurally coordinated based on number and distribution of sound source(s). In various embodiments, in addition to preserving spatial cue, the dynamic range compression is controlled to optimize audibility and comfortable loudness of target signals. | 02-13-2014 |
20140050340 | HEARING AID HAVING LEVEL AND FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT GAIN - An improved open-ear hearing aid to compensate for hearing loss includes a microphone for picking up incident sound and converting it to an electrical audio signal. An ear insert positionable within a human ear canal is provided for producing an output sound amplified within one or more frequency bands in response to incident sound picked up by the microphone. The in-band gain of the amplified sound output of the ear insert's loudspeaker is dependent on the user's hearing loss characteristics and the sound pressure levels of the incident sound. The form of the ear insert allows transmission of incident sound directly to the eardrum, where it is summed at the eardrum with the amplified sound output from the ear insert. Sound output is maximum at low incident sound pressure levels and minimum when the incident sound exceeds a set cut-off level. | 02-20-2014 |
20140105436 | HEARING AID GAIN DETERMINATION SYSTEM, HEARING AID GAIN DETERMINATION METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM - A hearing aid gain determination system includes: a biological signal measurement section for measureing an electroencephalogram signal; a sound group determination section for determining a frequency of a sound group including first, second and third sounds; a sound pressure determination section for determining sound pressures of the first to third sounds so that the respective sound pressures are less than a threshold and that the first to third sounds consecutively decrease; an output section for presenting the first to third sounds at the determined frequency and sound pressures; a characteristic amount extraction section for extracting a characteristic amount concerning time-frequency information of an event-related potential in a time range after presenting the first to third sounds; a gain determination section for determining a hearing aid gain for the frequency of the sound stimulation group against a predetermined criterion based on the characteristic amounts. | 04-17-2014 |
20140177891 | SEPARATE INNER AND OUTER HAIR CELL LOSS COMPENSATION - A method and device for compensating sensorineural hearing loss in a manner that allows dysfunction of the inner and outer hair cells to be separately compensated is described. The disclosed techniques involve providing separately adjustable compression pathways for the received sound. | 06-26-2014 |
20140270294 | METHOD OF OPERATING A HEARING AID AND A HEARING AID - A method of processing a signal in a hearing aid ( | 09-18-2014 |
20140301584 | ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TELEVISION, RADIO & MUSIC SYSTEMS - An assistive-listening system is used with sound-producing equipment that includes a signal source, and first and second sound sources operatively associated with the signal source and configured to produce sound corresponding to signals received from the signal source. The assistive-listening system includes a volume control operatively associated with the signal source and configured proportionally to change the volume of both the first and second sound sources. Also included is a support structure configured to support and position the second sound source so that a hearing-impaired listener may listen effectively to sound controlled by the volume control without disturbing normal-hearing listeners. | 10-09-2014 |
20140376755 | METHOD FOR PROVIDING HEARING AID COMPATIBILITY MODE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE THEREOF - An apparatus and method for providing a Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) mode in an electronic device are provided, including detecting a type of battery, and applying an audio adjusting parameter for the HAC mode according to the detected type of battery. | 12-25-2014 |
20150063615 | Gain Control for a Hearing Aid with a Facial Movement Detector - Methods, systems and devices are provided for controlling a hearing aid. Embodiments include receiving an input audio signal from a microphone. Also, a facial movement indication may be received from a facial movement detector measured contemporaneously with the input audio signal. Additionally, whether a first movement pattern associated with the wearer speaking is a movement match to the facial movement indication may be determined. In this way, a first gain profile may be applied to the input audio signal for generating an augmented audio segment in response to determining the first movement pattern is the movement match to the facial movement indication. Also, a second gain profile may be applied to the input audio signal for generating the augmented audio segment in response to determining the first movement pattern does not match the facial movement indication. Thus, the augmented audio segment may be output. | 03-05-2015 |
20150117688 | HYBRID HEARING DEVICE - A hearing device is disclosed, wherein the hearing device may include an audio signal detector configured to detect an audio signal, an output signal generator configured to generate an output signal by adjusting an amplifying gain of the audio signal, a controller configured to determine an output method for the output signal to be one of a bone conduction method or an air conduction method, and an output unit configured to output the output signal. | 04-30-2015 |
20150319543 | BINAURALLY COORDINATED COMPRESSION SYSTEM - A hearing assistance system includes a pair of hearing aids performing dynamic range compression while preserving spatial cue to provide a hearing aid wearer with satisfactory listening experience in complex listening environments. In various embodiments, the dynamic range compression is binaurally coordinated based on number and distribution of sound source(s). In various embodiments, in addition to preserving spatial cue, the dynamic range compression is controlled to optimize audibility and comfortable loudness of target signals. | 11-05-2015 |
20150350794 | AUTOMATIC REAL-TIME HEARING AID FITTING BASED ON AUDITORY EVOKED POTENTIALS EVOKED BY NATURAL SOUND SIGNALS - The application relates to a hearing aid comprising at least one electrode located at a surface of a housing of the hearing aid to allow said electrodes to contact the skin of a user during use of the hearing aid, at least one electrode being adapted to pick up a low voltage signal from the user's brain, the hearing aid further comprising an amplifier unit operationally connected to said electrode(s) and adapted for amplifying said low voltage signal(s) to provide amplified brain signal(s), and a signal processing unit adapted to process said amplified brain signal(s) to provide a processed brain signal as well as to apply a time and frequency dependent gain to an input audio signal and to provide a processed audio output signal. The application further relates to a method of operating a hearing aid and to its use and to a hearing aid system. The object of the present application is to provide a hearing aid capable of monitoring a user's hearing ability over time. The problem is solved in that the signal processing unit is configured a) to identify characteristic signal parameters describing a current time segment of the electric audio input signal, b) to decide whether said characteristic signal parameters fulfill a predefined criterion, and, if said predefined criterion is fulfilled, c) to store brain signal data representative of the low voltage electric signal from the user's brain picked up during said current time segment or corresponding amplified brain signal(s) in a memory, and d) to use the stored brain signal data to determine a processed brain signal related to said predefined criterion, and to modify said time and frequency dependent gain depending on said processed brain signal. This has the advantage of providing a hearing aid wherein at least a part of the fitting process of a hearing aid to a particular user can be automated and/or continuously updated. The invention may e.g. be used for the hearing aids or hearing aid systems where a continuous evaluation of a user's hearing thresholds is needed. | 12-03-2015 |
20160019505 | COMBINING REAL-TIME LABOR MARKET DATA WITH CAREER INTEREST RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OPTIMAL CAREER SELECTION - Techniques for providing potential career paths based on a user's interests and incorporating real-time job market and educational information for that particular career path. A guidance service stores a plurality of jobs and their corresponding job-interest attributes. Then the guidance service obtains user-interest information from the user and automatically selects a plurality of jobs based on the user-interest information and the job-interest attribute values associated with the plurality of jobs. The guidance service then presents the user with the plurality of jobs and job market information and educational information associated with each of the plurality of jobs. | 01-21-2016 |
20160094920 | ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TELEVISION, RADIO & MUSIC SYSTEMS - An assistive-listening system is used with sound-producing equipment that includes a signal source, and first and second sound sources operatively associated with the signal source and configured to produce sound corresponding to signals received from the signal source. The assistive-listening system includes a volume control operatively associated with the signal source and configured proportionally to change the volume of both the first and second sound sources. Also included is a support structure configured to support and position the second sound source so that a hearing-impaired listener may listen effectively to sound controlled by the volume control without disturbing normal-hearing listeners. | 03-31-2016 |
20160205480 | Systems and Methods for Altering the Input Dynamic Range of an Auditory Device | 07-14-2016 |
20160255443 | STIMULATION STRATEGY FOR AN AUDITORY DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELECTRODE ARRAY | 09-01-2016 |