Widex A/s

Topholm & Westermann Aps

Carl Ludvigsen

Ole Hau

Andre Marcoux

Carsten Paludan-Mueller

Anne Vikar Damsgaard

Thilo Thiede

Henning Hougaard Andersen

A method for processing and controlling sound signals in a hearing aid is provided. The method comprises estimating a first () and a second () signal level of an electric input signal () based on a first () and a second () signal level estimator adapted for responding according to a first and a second speed respectively, where the second speed is lower than the first speed and where the estimated second signal level is subtracted from the estimated first signal level, thereby forming a third signal level (). Subsequently a first and a second compressor gain control output are determined in a first () and second () compressor based on said third and second signal level respectively. Then the first and second compressor gain control outputs are summed and hereby a net gain control signal () is created. Finally the electric input signal is amplified in accordance with the net gain control signal and thereby creating an electric output signal (). The invention also relates to a hearing aid operating according to said method.

Method for sound processing in a hearing aid and a hearing aid

An auditory prosthesis (') is adapted for compensation of hearing loss and for sound pressure determination. During calibration of the sound field to be used during fine-tuning of the auditory prosthesis, the auditory prosthesis is positioned at an observation point in the sound field, and the sound pressure at the auditory prosthesis is adjusted based on determinations of sound pressures performed with the auditory prosthesis. Thus, the need for dedicated calibrated sound pressure determining equipment is eliminated. The invention provides an auditory prosthesis, a method and a system for calibration of a sound field.

Auditory prosthesis, a method and a system for generation of a calibrated sound field

A multichannel hearing aid () comprises at least one frequency channel having a compressor () with a compression threshold at an output level below the hearing threshold and an attack time above 0.5 seconds whereby hearing of a sudden sound in a stationary sound environment is facilitated. With this compressor, the amplification of low signal levels may be increased compared to the prior art, as the compressor kicks in to generally suppress steady noises. The gain may generally be increased as high as feasible in view of the microphone baseline noise, which should preferably be kept below the hearing threshold. Thus the user of the hearing aid will generally have the option of a higher gain of low level sounds than generally feasible with prior art hearing aids.

Hearing aid with sudden sound alert

In a method and hearing aid () for processing sound signals for hearing impaired persons by providing multi-band compression processing an input sound signal is filtered by a band split filter () into a number of frequency bands to obtain band split signals. A signal level for each of the band split signals is determined and the frequency bands are arranged into a number of groups. Based on the signal levels in each of the groups, a compressor input level for a number of band split compressors each associated to one of the frequency bands is calculated. A compressor gain for each band split compressor is determined based on the corresponding compressor input signal and the band split signals are amplified with the corresponding compressor gain and summed in a summing unit () to produce an output sound signal.

Method and apparatus for controlling band split compressors in a hearing aid

A composite hearing aid system comprises two hearing aids () with respective microphones () and electronic receivers (), a microphone () and a transmitter () adapted to transmit the signal from the microphone () to the electronic receivers. At least one of the hearing aids () comprises means for inverting the phase of the signal received by the electronic receivers (). When the phase of the received signal is inverted in one of the hearing aids (), a release from masking is obtained, and the perceived signal-to-noise ratio is improved. The invention provides a composite hearing aid system, a hearing aid and a method for processing audio signals.

Hearing aid system, a hearing aid and a method for processing audio signals

Method of processing a sound signal in a hearing aid

A fitting method is provided for a multichannel hearing aid with at least one low frequency channel having an individually adjustable compressor. The method comprises the steps of first adjusting the characteristic of the compressor according to the hearing loss to be compensated by the hearing aid, followed by the step of increasing the compression ratio of the characteristic of the compressor in the at least one low frequency band. The at least one low frequency channel may further comprise an offset amplifier adding an offset gain to the compressor characteristic, and the method may further comprise the step of adjusting the offset gain in the range from &#x2212;20 dB to 20 dB. After adjustment according to the method, compressors operating at low frequencies enhance low level signals and attenuate high level signals whereby perception of occlusion is suppressed.

Suppression of perceived occlusion

The present invention relates to an ear level electronic device comprising a housing that is adapted to be worn behind the ear, in the ear, or in the ear canal, and to enclose a music synthesizer for generation of an electrical signal representing music and an output transducer for conversion of the electrical signal into sound. In the device, sound generators are controlled by pseudo-random number generators generating sequences of self-similar numbers whereby music is synthesized that is surprisingly relaxing and comfortable to listen to. Further, a music sequence generated by such a number generator is extremely long so that a person listening to the music does not have a perception of being listening to repeated music sequences.

Ear level device for synthesizing music

Automatic gain control in a hearing aid is effected by detecting an input sound level and/or an output sound level and adapting the output sound level supplied by the hearing aid in response to the detected sound level by controlling the gain of the hearing aid towards an actual desired value of the output sound level. The gain control is effected at increases and decreases, respectively, of the input sound level by adjusting the gain towards the actual desired value with an attack time and a release time, respectively, which are adjusted in response to the detected sound level to a relatively short duration providing fast gain adjustment at high input and/or output sound levels and to a relatively long duration providing slow gain adjustment at low input and/or output sound levels.

Dynamic automatic gain control in a hearing aid

A hearing aid with beam forming properties, having at least two microphone channels ( ) for at least two microphones ( ), the microphone channels each comprising an analog to digital converter ( ) and having at least one programmable or program controlled signal processor ( ), as well as a digital to analog converter, and at least one receiver and a battery for power supply. The hearing aid particularly comprises in each microphone channel ( ) a sigma-delta-type analog to digital converter ( ) including a digital low pas filter and a decimator ) for converting a 1 Bit Stream of a high clock frequency into a digital word sequence of a lower clock frequency. At least one of the at least two microphone channels contains a controllable delay device ( ) connected to the input side of the respective digital low pass filter and decimator ( ) of the channel, the delay device ( ) being controllable by the at least one signal processor ( ). The delay device is preferably integrated into the sigma-delta-ADC ( ).

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Valby, Denmark

Carl Ludvigsen