Phonak Ag

Advanced Bionics Ag

Sonova Ag

Phanak Ag

Stefan Launer

Hilmar Meier

Michael Boretzki

Hans-Ueli Roeck

Lakshmi Narayan Mishra

Lee F Hartley

Abhijit Kulkarni

Mark B Downing

Gerhard Roehrlein

Herbert Bächler

Ivo Hasler

Silvia Allegro-Baumann

Logan P Palmer

Erdal Karamuk

Christoph Widmer

Stefan Daniel Menzl

Rainer Platz

Harald Krueger

Bernd Waldmann

Volker Kühnel

Silvia Allegro

Valentin Chapero-Rueda

Nail Cadalli

Philip Schneider

Nadim El Guindi

Herbert Baechler

Alfred Stirnemann

Hans Hessel

Nicola Schmitt

Bruno Knobel

Thomas Zurbruegg

Charles Findeisen

Silvia Allegro Baumann

Gregory Bleiker

Thomas Wessel

Reto Kurmann

Charlotte Vercammen

Martin Roth

Michael Mathey

An exemplary hearing system includes a hearing device, a memory storing instructions and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to perform a process comprising: accessing operating service tier data that associates a first operating service tier with a first set of hearing device functions and a second operating service tier with a second set of hearing device functions; detecting, while the hearing device operates in accordance with the first set of hearing device functions associated with the first operating service tier, a satisfaction of a condition associated with the second operating service tier; and directing, based on the detecting the satisfaction of the condition, the hearing device to switch from operating in accordance with the first set of hearing device functions to operating in accordance with the second set of hearing device functions.

Systems and methods for operating a hearing device in accordance with a plurality of operating service tiers

Hearing assistance apparatus, systems and methods that involve the use of distributed power without the use of a headpiece.

Headpieceless hearing assistance apparatus, systems and methods with distributed power

There is provided a method of operating a hearing device () to be worn by a user, comprising: defining a plurality of hearing device services and assigning to each hearing device service a service access confirmation level selected from a plurality of hierarchically structured service access confirmation levels; providing an access software platform for enabling third party service access to the hearing device services; providing at least one application program adapted to provide a third party service to the hearing device, each application program adapted to utilize the access software platform and at least one of the hearing device services; providing a manufacturer access service for approving or denying access to the hearing device for each of the application programs depending on whether or not approval for the respective service access confirmation level(s) has been previously obtained.

Method of operating a hearing device

Hearing assistance apparatus, systems and methods that involve the use of distributed power.

Implantable hearing assistance apparatus and corresponding systems and methods

Hearing assistance apparatus, systems and methods that involve the use of a head mountable power supply to power an implantable cochlear stimulator.

A hearing device is proposed comprising at least one microphone (), at least one analog-to-digital converter (), a signal processing unit (), a communication unit () for establishing and/or maintaining a communication link to a second hearing device, and a detection unit () for determining a communication link quality. The at least one microphone () is operationally connected to the signal processing unit () via the at least one analog-to-digital converter (), and the communication unit () is operationally connected to the signal processing unit (). By providing said detection unit (), which is operationally connected to the communication unit (), together with a processing scheme selectable in the signal processing unit () in accordance to a determined communication link quality, a binaural hearing system with two hearing devices is for able to adjust its mode in line with the communication link quality, and therewith its capacity.

Binaural hearing device and method to operate the hearing device

An exemplary headpiece module includes 1) a housing configured to be affixed to a head of a patient, 2) communication circuitry disposed within the housing and that facilitates communication of an off-the-ear sound processor module with a cochlear implant implanted within the patient, and 3) a loudspeaker at least partially disposed within the housing of the headpiece module and that applies acoustic stimulation to the patient as directed by the off-the-ear sound processor module.

Systems and methods for facilitating electroacoustic stimulation using an off-the-ear sound processor module

The present invention proposes two alternative methods for remote fitting of one or two hearing devices ('), i.e. where a hearing device fitter () located in a first room (R) provides remote support to a user () of the one or two hearing devices (&#x2032;) located in a distant second room (R) in order to adjust the one or two hearing devices (&#x2032;) to the individual needs of the user (). According to a first method a voice rendering signal processing is applied to the fitter's voice, thus achieving that the fitter's voice is perceived by the user () as if the user () were at a virtual user location (L) in the first room (R) wearing the one or two hearing devices (&#x2032;). The same is achieved according to a second, alternative method, wherein the fitter's voice is picked up by at least one or two microphones of one or two further hearing devices located at the virtual user location (L) at a first position (P) and/or at a second position (P).

Method for remote fitting of a hearing device

Monitoring usage of a hearing device includes: c) checking whether a message has been received within a time period (dt) shorter than a pre-defined time period (Dt) via a long-distance communication network in a remote device; and d) generating usage status data dependent on the result of the checking addressed in step c). The usage status data are indicative of the usage of the hearing device, indicating 'use' if the time period (dt) is smaller than or equal to the pre-defined time period (Dt) and indicating 'non-use' if the time period (dt) is larger than the pre-defined time period (Dt). The message includes identification data for identifying the hearing device or a user of said hearing device. The remote device is located remote from the hearing device and connected to the long-distance communication network. The time period (dt) starts from a start event.

Method for monitoring usage of a hearing device

Methods and apparatus for fitting a hearing aid device () that includes a part which is arranged in the ear canal () of a user ().

Method for fitting a hearing aid device with active occlusion control to a user

A method for testing a hearing device () comprising at least one microphone unit () and a receiver unit () is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of positioning the hearing device () at a predefined position in relation to an accessory device () comprising a microphone () and a loudspeaker (), generating a first sound signal () by the loudspeaker (), recording the first sound signal () by the microphone unit (), generating a second sound signal () by the receiver unit (), the second sound signal () being at least partly dependent on the recorded first sound signal (), recording the second sound signal () by the microphone (), evaluating the recorded second sound signal (), and at least triggering further action based on results of evaluating the recorded second sound signal () in case the results do not conform to predefined expectation. Furthermore, an arrangement for testing a hearing device () is also disclosed.

Method for testing a hearing device as well as an arrangement for testing a hearing device

An exemplary electro-acoustic stimulation ('EAS') system () includes 1) an off-the-ear sound processor module (), 2) a headpiece module () communicatively coupled directly to the off-the-ear sound processor module () and configured to be affixed to a head of a patient, the headpiece module () comprising a housing with communication circuitry disposed therein that is configured to facilitate communication by the off-the-ear sound processor module () with a cochlear implant () implanted within the patient, and 3) a loudspeaker () communicatively coupled directly to the headpiece module (). The off-the-ear sound processor module () is configured to direct the cochlear implant () to apply electrical stimulation to the patient and direct the loudspeaker () to apply acoustic stimulation to the patient. Corresponding systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

Systems and methods for facilitating electro-acoustic stimulation using an off-the-ear sound processor module

The method for reconstructing the three-dimensional shape of the surface () of at least a portion of an ear canal () and/or of a concha comprises&#x2014;for each of a multitude of points () on said surface ()&#x2014;the step of using a chromatic coded distance measurement technique for determining a distance value () representative of a distance to said point (); and further comprises the step of reconstructing said three-dimensional shape based on said multitude of distance values (). The system for reconstructing the three-dimensional shape of the surface () of at least a portion of an ear canal () and/or of a concha, comprises a distance measurement unit for determining&#x2014;by means of a chromatic coded distance measurement technique and for each of a multitude of points () on said surface ()&#x2014;a distance value () representative of a distance to said point; and a reconstructing unit () operationally connected to said distance measurement unit for reconstructing said three-dimensional shape based on said multitude of distance values ().

Method and system for reconstructing the three-dimensional shape of the surface of at least a portion of an ear canal and/or of a concha

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Zurich, Switzerland

Stefan Launer