Oticon A/s

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Retune Dsp Aps

Jesper Bruun Jensen

Michael Syskind Pedersen

Jan Mark De Haan

Asger Heidemann Andersen

Nels Hede Rohde

Thomas Bentsen

Anders Brødløs Olsen

Svend Oscar Petersen

Meng Guo

Thomas Bo Elmedyb

Andreas Thelander Bertelsen

Michael Smed Kristensen

Poul Hoang

Jens Troelsen

Rune Sø

Kåre Tais Christensen

Svend Feldt

Mojtaba Farmani

Bjarne Kielsholm-Ribalaygua

Peter S K Hansen

Hans Christian Schott

Eleni Koutrouli

Ulrik Kjems

Richard Heusdens

Lars Bramsløw

Pauli Minnaar

Stig Petri

Thomas Ulrich Christiansen

Richard C Hendriks

Adel Zahedi

Thomas Kaulberg

Peter Sommer

Gary Jones

Morten Christophersen

Sigurdur Sigurdsson

Christian Asp Mogensen

Jakob Sloth Lauridsen

Karsten Bo Rasmussen

Thomas Lunner

Anders Højsgaard Thomsen

Anders Thule

Martin Bergmann

Jesper Bünsow Boldt

David Thorn Blix

Thomas Gleerup

Ole Fogh Olsen

Gusztáv Lõcsei

Hongyan Sun

Karsten Bonke

Zuzana Jelcicová

Rasmus Jones

Jamal Amini

Zheng-Hua Tan

Adam Kuklasiński

Cees H Taal

Peter Mølgaard Sørensen

Michael Kai Petersen

Jacob Schack Larsen

Sebastien Curdy-neves

Robert Rehr

Mohammad El-sayed

Michael Noes Gätke

A hearing aid comprises a) at least one input transducer for providing at least one electric input signal representing said sound; b) an output transducer for providing stimuli perceivable to the user as sound; c) a feedback control system configured to minimize feedback from said output transducer to said at least one input transducer, and to at least provide a feedback corrected version of said at least one electric input signal; and d) an audio signal processor configured to apply one or more processing algorithms to said feedback corrected version of said at least one electric input signal, and to provide a processed signal in dependence thereof. The feedback control system is based on a machine learning model receiving input data at least representing said at least one electric input signal; and said processed signal; and providing said feedback corrected version of the at least one electric input signal as an output. A method of training a machine learning model is further disclosed.

Hearing device comprising a feedback control system

A hearing aid comprises at least one input unit for providing at least one stream of samples of an electric input signal in a first domain; at least one encoder configured to convert said at least one stream of samples of the electric input signal in the first domain to at least one stream of samples of the electric input signal in a second domain; a processing unit configured to process said at least one electric input signal in the second domain, to provide a compensation for the user's hearing impairment, and to provide a processed signal as a stream of samples in the second domain; a decoder configured to convert said stream of samples of the processed signal in the second domain to a stream of samples of the processed signal in the first domain. The at least one encoder is configured to convert a first number of samples from said at least one stream of samples of the electric input signal in the first domain to a second number of samples in said at least one stream of samples of the electric input signal in the second domain. The decoder is configured to convert said second number of samples from said stream of samples of the processed signal in the second domain to said first number of samples in said stream of samples of the electric input signal in the first domain. The second number of samples is larger than the first number of samples. The at least one encoder is trained, and at least a part of said processing unit providing said compensation for the user's hearing impairment is implemented as a trained neural network. A method of operating a hearing aid is further disclosed. Thereby an improved hearing aid may be provided.

Low latency hearing aid

A hearing system comprises a) a multitude of M of microphones providing M corresponding electric input signals x(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) of previously determined acoustic transfer function vectors (ATF). The processor is configured A) to determine a constrained estimate of a current acoustic transfer function vector (ATF) in dependence of said M electric input signals and said dictionary (Δ), B) to determine an unconstrained estimate of a current acoustic transfer function vector (ATF) 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.

Hearing system comprising a database of acoustic transfer functions

A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, comprises a) an input unit configured to provide at least one time-variant electric input signal representing sound, the at least one electric input signal comprising target signal components and optionally noise signal components, the target signal components originating from a target sound source; b) a signal processing unit for processing the at least one electric input signal and providing a processed signal; c) an output unit for creating output stimuli configured to be perceivable by the user as sound based on the processed signal from the signal processing unit; d) a speech presence probability prediction unit for repeatedly providing a measure of a predicted speech presence probability of the at least one electric input signal, or of a signal originating therefrom; and e) a speech intelligibility prediction unit for repeatedly providing a current measure of a predicted speech intelligibility of the at least one electric input signal, or of a signal originating therefrom. The speech intelligibility prediction unit is configured to determine said current measure of the predicted speech intelligibility in dependence of said measure of the predicted speech presence probability. A method of operating a hearing device is further disclosed. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing aids, headsets, earpieces (ear buds), etc.

Hearing device comprising a speech intelligibility estimator

A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, comprises a) at least one input transducer for converting sound in the environment of the hearing device to respective at least one acoustically received electric input signal or signals representing said sound; b) a wireless receiver for receiving an audio signal from a wireless transmitter of a sound capturing device for picking up sound in said environment and providing a wirelessly received electric input signal representing said sound; and c) a processor configured c1) to receive said at least one acoustically received electric input signal or signals, or a processed version thereof; c2) to receive said wirelessly received electric input signal; and c3) to provide a processed signal. The processor comprises a signal predictor for estimating future values of said wirelessly received electric input signal in dependence of a multitude of past values of said signal, thereby providing a predicted signal. The hearing device further comprises d) an output transducer for presenting output stimuli perceivable as sound to the user in dependence of said processed signal from said processor, or a further processed version thereof. The processor is configured to provide said processed signal in dependence of the predicted signal or a processed version thereof 1) alone, or 2) mixed with said at least one acoustically received electric input signal or signals, or a processed version thereof. A hearing device comprising an earpiece and a separate audio processing device is further disclosed. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing devices in wireless communication with audio capture devices in an immediate environment of the user wearing the hearing device.

Hearing device or system comprising a communication interface

A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, is configured to be arranged at least partly on a user's head or at least partly implanted in a user's head. The hearing device comprises a) at least one input transducer for picking up an input sound signal from the environment and providing at least one electric input signal representing said input sound signal; b) a signal processor connected to the at least one input transducer, the signal processor being configured to analyze the electric input signal and to provide a transmit control signal in dependence thereof; c) a memory buffer, e.g. a cyclic buffer, for storing a current time segment of a certain duration of said at least one electric input signal, or a processed version thereof; and a transmitter for transmitting at least a part of said time segment, or a processed version thereof, to an external device in dependence of said transmit control signal.

Hearing device comprising a transmitter

A hearing device includes a) a multitude of input transducers providing a corresponding multitude of electric input signals; and b) a processor for providing a processed signal in dependence of the electric input signals. The processor includes b1) a beamformer for providing a spatially filtered signal in dependence of electric input signals and beamformer filter coefficients determined in dependence of a fixed steering vector including as elements respective acoustic transfer functions from a target signal source, to each of said multitude of input transducers; and b2) a target adaptation module connected to the input transducers and to at least one beamformer, the target adaptation module being configured to provide compensation signals to compensate the electric input signals so that they match the fixed steering vector.

Hearing device comprising a low complexity beamformer

A binaural hearing system comprises first and second hearing aids, each comprising antenna and transceiver circuitry allowing the exchange of audio signals between them and a BTE-part adapted for being located at or behind the external ear (pinna) of the user and comprising front and rear input transducers providing respective front and rear electric input signals. Each of the hearing aids comprises primary and secondary adaptive 2-channel beamformers each providing a spatially filtered signal based on first and second beamformer-input signals. The primary and secondary 2-channel beamformers are coupled in a cascaded structure. The inputs to the primary 2-channel beamformers are, locally generated, front and rear electric input signals. The inputs to the secondary 2-channel beamformer may be beamformed signals from the first and second hearing aids respectively. The spatially filtered signal of the secondary 2-channel beamformer may comprise an estimate of a target signal in the environment of the user.

Hearing device and a hearing system comprising a multitude of adaptive two channel beamformers

A hearing device adapted for being worn at or in an ear of a user, comprises a) an input unit comprising at last two input transducers each for converting sound around said hearing device to an electric input signal representing said sound, thereby providing at least two electric input signals; b) a beamformer filter comprising a minimum processing beamformer defined by optimized beamformer weights, the beamformer filter being configured to provide a filtered signal in dependence of said at least two electric input signals and said optimized beamformer weights; c) a reference signal representing sound around said hearing device; d) a performance criterion for said minimum processing beamformer. The minimum processing beamformer is a beamformer that provides the filtered signal with as little modification as possible in terms of a selected distance measure compared to said reference signal, while still fulfilling said performance criterion. The optimized beamformer weights are adaptively determined in dependence of said at least two electric input signals, said reference signal, said distance measure, and said performance criterion. A method of operating a hearing device is further disclosed. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing aids or headsets.

Hearing device with minimum processing beamformer

A hearing device comprises a) at least one input transducer configured to pick up sound from an acoustic environment around the user when the user is wearing the hearing device, the at least one input transducer providing at least one electric input signal representative of said sound, b) at least one analysis filter bank configured to provide said at least one electric input signal as a multitude of frequency sub-band signals, the at least one analysis filter bank comprising b1) a plurality of M first filters h(n), whose impulse responses are modulated from a first prototype filter h(n), where m=0, 1, . . . , M−1 is a frequency band index, and n is a time index, c) a processor for processing said at least one electric input signal provided by said at least one analysis filter bank, or a signal originating therefrom, and providing a processed signal, d) an output transducer configured to provide stimuli perceivable as sound to the user in dependence of said processed signal, and e) a controller for controlling said analysis filter bank by applying a different first prototype filter to said at least one filter bank in dependence of said current acoustic environment. A method of operating a hearing device is further disclosed.

Hearing device comprising an adaptive filter bank

A hearing device adapted for being located at or in an ear of a user, or for being fully or partially implanted in the head of a user comprises a) an input unit for providing at least one electric input signal representing sound in an environment of the user, said electric input signal comprising a target speech signal from a target sound source and additional signal components, termed noise signal components, from one or more other sound sources, b) a noise reduction system for providing an estimate of said target speech signal, wherein said noise signal components are at least partially attenuated, and c) an own voice detector for repeatedly estimating whether or not, or with what probability, said at least one electric input signal, or a signal derived therefrom, comprises speech originating from the voice of the user. The noise signal components are identified during time segments wherein the own voice detector indicates that the at least one electric input signal, or a signal derived therefrom, originates from the voice of the user, or originates from the voice of the user with a probability above an own voice presence probability (OVPP) threshold value. A method of operating a hearing device is further disclosed.

Hearing device comprising a noise reduction system

A hearing device comprises an input transducer comprising a microphone for providing an electric input signal representative of sound in the environment of the hearing device, a pre-processor for processing electric input signal and providing a multitude of feature vectors, each being representative of a time segment thereof, a neural network processor adapted to implement a neural network for implementing a detector configured to provide an output indicative of a characteristic property of the at least one electric input signal, the neural network being configured to receive said multitude of feature vectors as input vectors and to provide corresponding output vectors representative of said output of said detector in dependence of said input vectors. The hearing device further comprises a transceiver comprising a transmitter and a receiver for establishing a communication link to another part or device or server, at least in a particular adaptation-mode of operation, and a selector for—in said particular adaptation—mode of operation—routing said feature vectors to said transmitter for transmission to said another part or device or server, and—in a normal mode of operation—to route said feature vectors to said neural network processor for use as inputs to said neural network, a neural network controller connected to said neural network processor for—in said particular adaptation-mode of operation—receiving optimized node parameters, and to apply said optimized node parameters to said nodes of said neural network to thereby implement an optimized neural network in said neural network processor, wherein the optimized node parameters have been selected among a multitude of sets of node parameters for respective candidate neural networks according to a predefined criterion in dependence of said feature vectors. A method of selecting optimized parameters for a neural network for use in a portable hearing device is further disclosed. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing aids or headsets, or similar, e.g. wearable, devices.

Hearing device comprising a detector and a trained neural network

A hearing aid includes an input providing an input signal representing sound in an environment, the input signal including no speech signal, or one or more speech signals from one or more speech sound sources and additional signal components, termed noise signal, from one or more other sound sources, an own voice detector, a voice activity detector, and a talker extraction unit to determine and/or receive one or more speech signals as separated one or more speech signals from speech sound sources other than the hearing aid user and to detect the speech signal originating from the voice of the user. The talker extraction unit provides separate signals, each including, or indicating presence of, one of the one or more speech signals. A noise reduction system determines speech overlap and/or gap between the speech signal originating from the user's voice and each of the separated one or more speech signals.

Hearing aid determining talkers of interest

A hearing aid adapted for being worn by a user comprises at least two microphones, providing respective at least two electric input signals representing sound; a filter bank converting the at least two electric input signals into signals as a function of time and frequency; a directional system connected to said at least two microphones and being configured to provide a filtered signal in dependence of said at least two electric input signals and fixed or adaptively updated beamformer weights. At least one direction to a target sound source is defined as a target direction. For each frequency band, one of said at least two microphones is selected as a reference microphone, thereby providing a reference input signal for each frequency band. The reference microphone for a given frequency band may be selected in dependence of directional data related to directional characteristics of the at least two microphones.

Hearing aid configured to select a reference microphone

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Smørum, Denmark

Jesper Bruun Jensen