Phonak Ag

Sonova Ag

Andreas Von Buol

Andi Vonlanthen

Volker Kühnel

Michael Boretzki

Elmar Fichtl

Bernd Waldmann

Volker Kuehnel

Nicola Schmitt

Reto Kurmann

Stefan Pislak

Patrick Baechler

Paul Zbinden

Paul Zbindne

The present invention is related to the adjusting of a hearing device () to the hearing preferences of a user of said hearing (). The hearing device () comprises an input transducer () for providing an electrical signal that corresponds to an acoustical input signal, a processing unit () for processing the electrical signal according to a set of process parameters (G1, . . . , Gn) to provide an intermediate signal, and an output transducer () for providing an output signal to the user of said hearing device (), wherein the output signal corresponds to the intermediate signal. The method comprises the step of providing a set of adjustment parameters (A1, . . . , Am), which, at least partly, represents an individual hearing characteristic of the user of said hearing device () and the further step of adapting the set of process parameters (G1, . . . , Gn) as a function of an adjustment control signal (ACS) and the set of adjustment parameters (A1, . . . , Am).

Method for adjusting a hearing device and a hearing device that is operable according to said method

A method for determining feedback thresholds in a plurality of frequency bands and/or at a plurality of frequencies processed by a hearing device is disclosed. The feedback thresholds are defined as gains, at which feedback occurs while a hearing device user is wearing the hearing device. The method comprises the step of determining feedback thresholds in an order of precedence, wherein the order of precedence being defined according to a degree of importance that the feedback threshold is determined in a particular frequency band or at a particular frequency, respectively.

Method for determining of feedback threshold in a hearing device and a hearing device

The hearing device to be worn by a user of the hearing device comprises Said signal processor is designed such that there exists an input SPL range of at least a portion of said incoming acoustical sound, in which an increase in input SPL of said at least one portion of said incoming acoustical sound results in a decrease in output SPL of at least a portion of said outgoing acoustical sound, wherein SPL stands for sound pressure level. Through this, at high input SPL the hearing device's power consumption can be reduced by making use of direct sound, which propagate as sound waves from outside the user's ear canal to the user's ear drum.

Hearing device

The present invention provides a method of adjusting a hearing instrument that is at least partially insertable into an ear canal, the hearing instrument () comprising at least two microphones, the method comprising the steps of:

Method of adjusting a hearing instrument

A method for individually fitting a hearing instrument to a user, by: starting operation of the hearing instrument; pre-defining a desired target loudness function perceived by the user defined as function of frequency and input sound pressure level at the microphone; measuring for a given measurement parameter set of perceived loudness levels and frequencies or frequency bands the respective transducer input audio signal level to be applied to the transducer input to achieve the respective perceived loudness level at the respective frequency or frequency band, said measurement parameter set having at least a low, intermediate and high loudness levels, and said intermediate loudness level being measured for a larger number of frequencies or frequency bands and with a finer frequency resolution than said low and high loudness levels; calculating an individual gain function to be implemented in the audio signal processing unit to achieve the pre-defined target loudness function by taking into account the measured transducer input audio signal levels; and operating the hearing instrument with the individual gain function.

Method for individually fitting a hearing instrument

Provided is a hearing device and method for compensating for a hearing loss. To compensate for the hearing loss, the hearing device and method utilize the gain during feedback in the forward path of a compressive system which, after having reached its steady state in 'closed loop' operation, is equal to the feedback threshold gain. The steady state is reached soon after having applied a low input signal level to the hearing device, which input signal level is below 55 dB SPL (Sound Pressure Level), for example, and would result, for the open loop compressive system, in a larger gain than the feedback threshold gain of the closed loop system, respectively, would result in the maximum possible hearing device gain if maximum possible hearing device gain is below feedback threshold gain. The signal feedback gain is assessed in this steady state.

Method to determine a feedback threshold in a hearing device

This invention relates to a method for the individualized adaptation of a hearing aid to a person. The method consists basically of the measurement and quantification by parameters of the loudness perception of the individual, weighted by a first factor. Also weighted is a standardized normal loudness perception and its parameters by a second factor. Finally, the weighted loudness perceptions and their parameters are used for determining the optimal settings of the hearing aid for the individual concerned. The advantage of the method according to this invention lies in the fact that it permits significantly better adaptation of the hearing aid to the individual person.

Method for individualizing a hearing aid

A feedback threshold in a hearing device is determined by feeding an input signal to the hearing device while it is inserted in an ear canal of a user. The input signal results in a higher amplification than a supposed, that is, not yet known, feedback threshold. An amplification in the forward path of the device is measured. The feedback threshold is equal to the measured amplification.

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Zurich, Switzerland

Andreas Von Buol