Sonova Ag

Phonak Ag

Amre El-Hoiydi

Marc Secall

Federico Ferrari

Stephan Gehring

Hilmar Meier

Manuela Feilner

Rainer Platz

Francois Callias

Timothée Jost

Christoph Hans Schmid

Alessandro Gallo

Arnaud Brielmann

Yves Oesch

Daniel Lucas-Hirtz

Evert Dijkstra

Georg Dickmann

Francois Marquis

Claude Richard

Michael Bernhard

Roland Hug

Xavier Gigandet

Jonas Högberg

Markus Buehl

Sebastian Stenzel

Dominique Aparicio

Doninique Aparicio

William Balande

Michael Osterwalder

Jordi Hidalgo

Till Schmalmack

Ives Oesch

Frederico Ferrari

Robert Cerny

François Callias

A hearing device includes a processor and a wireless transceiver operatively connected with the processor and configured to connect via a wireless link with a remote device and to exchange bi-directional audio packets with the remote device. The processor is configured to monitor an audio link quality and adapt a transmit power of the hearing device as a function of the audio link quality.

Method for ensuring symmetric audio quality for hands-free phoning

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.

Method and system for streaming a multichannel audio signal to a binaural hearing system

The disclosed technology relates to operating two wireless communication protocols during operation of a hearing device. The disclosed technology includes a method that includes: aligning a timing of audio frames of a first wireless communication protocol with a timing of slots of a second wireless communication protocol to reduce overlapping requests to access a shared transceiver from the first wireless communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol; receiving a first request to access the shared transceiver of the wireless communication device from the first wireless communication protocol and receiving a second request to access the shared transceiver of the wireless communication device from the second wireless communication protocol during a coexistence window; and granting the second request from the second wireless communication protocol to be executed based on priority of the second wireless communication protocol over the first wireless communication protocol during the coexistence window.

Operating more than one wireless communication protocol with a coexistence window

A method includes receiving, by an audio receiver device, a first audio stream from a first audio streaming device, wherein the first audio stream comprises a plurality of frames each comprising at least one audio packet slot for at least one audio packet; and scanning, by the audio receiver device, while receiving the first audio stream from the first audio streaming device, during at least one scan window for packets transmitted from a second audio streaming device in a second audio stream. The scanning takes place in manner so as to enable reception of at least one audio packet per frame of the first audio stream by preventing collision of the at least one scan window with at least one audio packet slot per frame of the first audio stream.

Audio stream detection

The disclosed technology includes a method to wirelessly communicate with a wireless communication device using two wireless communication protocols. The method includes: aligning a timing of audio frames of a first wireless communication protocol with a timing of advertising events of a second wireless communication protocol; increasing a time duration between beginnings of advertising Protocol Data Units (PDUs) transmitted during an advertising event of the second wireless communication protocol; receiving a first request to access a transceiver of the wireless communication device from the first wireless communication protocol and receiving a second request to access the transceiver of the wireless communication device from the second wireless communication protocol; and selecting the second request from the second wireless communication protocol to be executed based on priority of the second wireless communication protocol. The method can be used during audio streaming.

Operating more than one wireless communication protocol with a hearing device

A method for a wireless personal communication using a hearing system with a hearing device comprises: monitoring and analyzing the user's acoustic environment by the hearing device to recognize one or more speaking persons based on content-independent speaker voiceprints saved in the hearing system; and presenting a user interface to the user for notifying the user about a recognized speaking person and for establishing, joining or leaving a wireless personal communication connection between the hearing device and one or more communication devices used by the one or more recognized speaking persons.

Wireless personal communication via a hearing device

A method for adjusting a hearing device () adapted to be worn behind an ear () comprises: determining a cymba angle () between a cartilage () above the cymba () of the ear () and a viewing direction () of the user; estimating a tilt angle () of the hearing device () with respect to the viewing direction () from the cymba angle (); and adjusting a beam former direction () of a beam former () of the hearing device (), such that the beam former direction () is aligned with the viewing direction ().

Beam former calibration of a hearing device

An illustrative method is disclosed for determining potential partner devices for a hearing device worn by a user, wherein the hearing device is adapted for establishing a data communication connection with other devices with a data communication interface and for receiving an audio data stream from the other devices via the data communication interface. The method includes generating context data from sensor data recorded by the hearing device; inputting the context data into a machine learning algorithm, which has been trained with historical context data to classify potential partner devices; and outputting at least one classification by the machine learning algorithm, the classification classifying the potential partner devices and indicating whether the user expects a data communication connection with the potential partner devices.

Pairing of hearing devices with machine learning algorithm

A hearing device includes a processor and a wireless transceiver operatively connected with the processor and configured to connect via a wireless link with a remote device and to exchange bi-directional audio packets with the remote device. The transmit power of the remote device is larger than the transmit power of the hearing device. The processor is configured to estimate the audio link packet error rate of the transmission via the wireless link, and generate a notification when the audio link packet error rate exceeds a pre-determined threshold.

A communication device, including a wireless interface including a transceiver unit, and a controller configured to control the transceiver unit when applying a first protocol which is a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol and a second protocol which is suitable for exchanging both audio data and non-audio data. The controller is further configured to apply a first control configuration while the transceiver unit is not used for audio data reception and/or transmission of audio data via the second protocol, and to apply a second control configuration while the transceiver unit is used for audio data reception and/or transmission of audio data via the second protocol. In the second control configuration duration of BLE connection events is limited to a maximum duration shorter than the maximum duration of BLE connection events in the first control configuration.

Communication device using two wireless protocols

There is provided an audio transmission method, comprising: wirelessly connecting an audio receiver device to a first audio streaming device; transmitting a first audio stream from the first audio streaming device using a first protocol to the audio receiver device, wherein at least one audio data packet is transmitted in each frame in at least one audio packet slot; and scanning, by the audio receiver device, while receiving the first audio stream from the first audio streaming device, during at least one scan window (S) for frequency hopping synchronization (FHS) packets (F) transmitted from a second audio streaming device in a second audio stream using a second protocol. The scanning activity enables reception of at least one audio packet per frame of the first audio stream by preventing collision of the at least one scan window with at least one audio packet slot (A) per frame (R).

Provided is an audio transmission method between at least two audio communication systems including a transmitting audio communication system with first and second audio transmitting devices and a receiving audio communication system with at least one audio receiving device. The method includes transmitting a first wireless audio stream, via a first wireless audio link, by the first audio transmitting device and a second wireless audio stream, via a second wireless audio link, by the second audio transmitting device; and selecting, by the at least one audio receiving device, one of the first wireless audio stream or the second wireless audio stream based on quality parameters of the first audio link and the second wireless audio link.

Dual wireless audio streams transmission allowing for spatial diversity or own voice pickup (OVPU)

Provided is a method for operating two hearing devices. The method includes establishing a first bi-directional wireless connection between a primary hearing device and a wireless communication device over a first wireless link, eavesdropping on the first wireless link, by a secondary hearing device, over a second wireless link between the wireless communication device and the secondary hearing device, and establishing a second bi-directional wireless connection between the primary hearing device and the secondary hearing device over a third wireless link. The method further includes monitoring the link quality of the first wireless link and/or the second wireless link, and assigning to either the secondary hearing device or the primary hearing device the role of transmitting audio-related packets towards the wireless communication device, based on the quality of at least one of the first wireless link or the second wireless link. An audio communication system is also provided.

Bluetooth audio exchange with transmission diversity

There is provided a communication device having a wireless interface () including a transceiver () and a controller () configured to use the transceiver when applying a first protocol, which is a Bluetooth BR/EDR protocol, and also when applying a second protocol, which is suitable for audio streaming, and to use the transceiver for a Bluetooth BR/EDR inquiry scan and/or page scan procedure for data packets sent by an external device (), wherein the scan procedure comprises a set of N scan segments during which the transceiver is used for inquiry/page scanning, each scan segment having a start time and a frequency, wherein each scan segment is executed during idle times of the second protocol; wherein the duration of each scan segment is at least 1,0055 ms and less than 10.625 ms; wherein the set of scan segments comprises at least two different frequencies and wherein the frequency changes more often than every 1.28 sec.

Communication device having a dual protocol wireless interface

A method for selecting audio input from a microphone of a hearing device or a microphone of a mobile device comprising: detecting proximity between the hearing device and the mobile device. If proximity between the hearing device and the mobile device is detected, receiving an audio input with the microphone of the mobile device and generating a mobile device audio signal from the audio input; transmitting the mobile device audio signal from the mobile device into a communication network. If proximity between the hearing device and the mobile device is not detected, the method comprises: receiving an audio input with the microphone of the hearing device and generating the hearing device audio signal from the audio input with the hearing device; transmitting the hearing device audio signal from the hearing device to the mobile device; transmitting the hearing device audio signal from the mobile device into a communication network.

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Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Amre El-Hoiydi